Abilene, TX Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)

Two layers of law govern construction noise in Abilene. , daytime hours, from the city's octave-band decibel table, so a contractor working within that window is not measured against Table 4-3's numeric limits. 01 controls. Under Subsection (a)(5), a person commits disorderly conduct if he intentionally or knowingly makes unreasonable noise in a public place other than a sport shooting range, or in or near a private residence he has no right to occupy. Subsection (c)(2) defines when that noise is legally presumed unreasonable: once a magistrate or peace officer has given notice that the noise is a public nuisance, exceeding a decibel level of 85 after that warning creates the presumption.

04 requires that before an arrest can be made for noise tied to speech or expressive activity, the person must first be ordered to move, disperse, or otherwise remedy the violation, and it is a defense to prosecution if no such order was given, if the order was manifestly unreasonable in scope, or if the order was promptly obeyed. 01 is a Class C misdemeanor, the lowest tier under Texas law, punishable by fine only with no jail time, unless it falls under the firearm-related subsections, which do not apply to construction noise.

Because the notice-and-order requirement precedes enforcement, a single early-morning or late-night complaint about a job site does not automatically produce a citation; officers must first warn and give the operator a chance to comply.