Sarasota County, FL Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Coverage area
- 65/70/75 Ldn airport noise contours
- Substantial improvement threshold
- 50% of market value
- Highest reduction class
- 35 Ldn
- Top wall STC rating required
- Up to 55
- Exemption
- Pre-2001 manufactured home parks
- Enforcement
- Same as Article II Building Code
Summary
Buildings built or substantially improved inside the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport's noise contours face sound-isolation standards tougher than the Florida Building Code, under Code § 22-36. The rule sets three tiers of interior noise reduction depending on distance from the runway, with exterior walls, windows, doors, and roofs all required to hit a minimum Sound Transmission Class.
(a)Airport noise control. It is the intent of this section to establish sound isolation requirements for exterior walls, roofs, doors, windows, and sloped glazing on buildings constructed within Airport Noise Contours established by the Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority. Due to the conditions existing within the Airport Noise Contours, it is necessary to adopt insulation requirements for these areas which are more stringent than those required by the Florida Building Code. ... (d)(1)Thirty-five Ldn Reduction. Sound isolation adequate to limit an interior noise level so that it does not exceed 45 Ldn in buildings located within the 75 Ldn noise contour.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 98).
Full Breakdown
Sarasota County Code § 22-36 adopts by reference the Airport Noise Contour Map prepared by the Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority ('SRQ Part 150 Implementation') and layers sound-isolation duties onto any new or substantially improved building inside the mapped 65, 70, or 75 day-night average sound level (Ldn) contours. The ordinance sets three classes of required noise reduction: a 35 Ldn reduction limits interior noise to 45 Ldn for buildings inside the 75 Ldn contour; a 30 Ldn reduction caps interior noise at 50 Ldn within the 75 Ldn contour and 45 Ldn between the 70 and 75 Ldn lines; and a 25 Ldn reduction caps interior noise at 50 Ldn between the 70 and 75 Ldn contours and 45 Ldn between the 65 and 70 Ldn contours.
Table 1 of the ordinance assigns those classes by occupancy type; one- and two-family dwellings and other Group R uses need a 35 Ldn reduction inside the 75 Ldn contour, 30 Ldn between 70 and 75 Ldn, and 25 Ldn between 65 and 70 Ldn. Compliance can be shown either by a licensed architect or engineer certifying the interior noise targets will be met, or by using wall, door, and window assemblies that hit the Sound Transmission Class ratings in Table 2, which reach as high as STC 55 for exterior walls with 26 to 70 percent openings at the top reduction class.
The rule applies whenever repair or improvement work costs 50 percent or more of a building's market value, but the Building Official may exempt replacement manufactured homes and park trailers in parks that existed before January 1, 2001, if the owner files a notarized affidavit that the unit cannot practicably be modified to comply.
Violations & Fines
Section 22-36 carries no separate penalty clause of its own; noncompliance is enforced through the general Article II Building Code violation provision, § 22-37, as a misdemeanor prosecuted under F.S. § 125.69 or through the Code Enforcement Special Master process under F.S. ch. 162 and Ordinance 93-006, with each day a building remains out of compliance treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Sarasota County properties are subject to the airport noise ordinance?
How is compliance with the noise-reduction requirement proven?
Is there any exception to the sound-isolation rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sarasota County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Sarasota County to another location·View the Florida noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.