Vacaville, CA Noise from Specific Sources: HVAC & Mechanical Noise (2026)

Two sections work together to control HVAC and other mechanical noise in Vacaville. Section 14.09.200.080 handles siting and screening: ground-mounted equipment, expressly including air conditioning units, must be screened by walls, fencing, or landscaping, while roof-mounted units need a parapet wall as tall as the highest piece of equipment or an architecturally integrated roof screen, and building-mounted components like louvers or conduit boxes must be painted to blend with the building.

The actual noise limit lives in Section 14.09.240.140(C)(4), Nontransportation Sources, which applies two measures at once: an hourly Leq (average sound level) and a maximum instantaneous level, both measured in dBA at the property line of the affected use. Table 14.09.240.D sets those limits for residential property lines at an hourly Leq of 50 dBA in the daytime (7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.) and 45 dBA at night (10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.), with maximum instantaneous levels capped at 70 dBA daytime and 65 dBA nighttime. Every one of those numbers drops by five additional decibels if the noise is a simple tone, is primarily speech or music, or recurs as an impulsive sound, so a whining or cycling condenser unit can be held to a stricter standard than steady mechanical hum.

The nontransportation standard exempts a short list of situations: new uses moving next to an already-louder ambient environment, public parks and playgrounds where the decision maker finds noise impacts are reasonably contained, nuisance abatement for residential noise like lawn mowers or barking dogs, caretaker units tied to nonresidential uses, and construction tied to public improvement projects the Director finds can't practically comply. Outside those carve-outs, all uses shall comply with these standards, meaning any commercial, industrial, or multi-unit HVAC installation is on the hook for both the average and peak decibel caps. Compliance is enforced under Chapter 8.10, Abatement of Public Nuisance, referenced directly in Section 14.09.240.140's opening paragraph.