Spokane County, WA Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Interior noise target
- 45 dB day/night average
- Zone affected
- Military Influence Area 3/4
- Noise contour basis
- 70 & 75 Ldn (FAA Part 150)
- Remodel trigger
- Additions ≥50% of assessed value
- Exempt structures
- Garages, basements, utility rooms
- Certification required from
- WA licensed engineer/architect/acoustician
- Easement
- Avigation easement recorded w/ Auditor
Summary
New homes and other residential structures built inside Fairchild Air Force Base's Military Influence Area 3/4 must meet a hard interior-noise standard: forty-five decibels day/night average, achieved with certified sound-reduction construction under section 14.702A.530. The requirement follows the 70 and 75 Ldn contours mapped from FAA noise modeling and applies to remodels worth half or more of the structure's value, not just new construction.
All structures or portions thereof subject to this regulation as specified in section 14.702A.520 shall be constructed with sound reduction features and materials to achieve a day/night average interior noise level of forty-five dB. Structures subject to the noise reduction level required in this section shall incorporate noise reduction features and materials as necessary to achieve an average interior sound level of forty-five dB in accordance with Department of Navy Guidelines for Sound Insulation of Residences Exposed to Aircraft Operations
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 63).
Full Breakdown
530's mandate that land near military bases stay compatible with base operations. 510 establishes the noise impact area within Military Influence Area 3/4 using the 70 and 75 Ldn sound contours calculated under FAA rules at 14 CFR Part 150, mapped on the official county zoning map and kept on file with the Department of Building and Planning. 520 triggers the forty-five decibel interior standard for new residential structures and manufactured homes, for congregate-living structures, for reconstruction or additions valued at fifty percent or more of the existing structure's assessed value, and for any change of use converting a non-dwelling structure to living quarters.
Garages, basements, utility rooms and unoccupied accessory structures are exempt. To meet the standard, the building permit application must include acoustical plans certified by a Washington-licensed engineer, architect, or recognized acoustical expert, following the Department of Navy's Guidelines for Sound Insulation of Residences Exposed to Aircraft Operations. 530. Owners in Military Influence Areas 2 and 3/4 must also record a title notice disclosing routine military overflight activity and, for new structures, grant Fairchild AFB a recorded avigation easement before a building permit issues.
Violations & Fines
Building or occupying a covered structure without the certified acoustical plans, without the required construction-phase inspections, or without filing the completion certification with the Department of Building and Planning can result in the county withholding the certificate of occupancy. Skipping the required avigation easement or title notice recording in Military Influence Areas 2 and 3/4 similarly blocks issuance of a building permit until the recorded documents are on file with the Spokane County Auditor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What noise standard applies to new homes near Fairchild AFB?
Do home additions have to meet the noise standard too?
Who certifies that a new home meets the noise-reduction standard?
Is an easement required for building near the base?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spokane County
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