Annapolis, MD Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Annapolis, MD, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Residential daytime limit
- 65 dBA, 7am-10pm
- Residential nighttime limit
- 55 dBA, 10pm-7am
- Commercial/industrial limit
- 75 dBA around the clock
- Construction exemption
- none stated in city code
- Enforcement
- Planning & Zoning Director or Police Chief
Summary
Annapolis applies its citywide decibel-based noise ordinance to construction equipment: work sites must stay within the same daytime/nighttime dBA limits set for the zoning district, since the code carries no separate construction exemption.
1.Code of Maryland Regulations 26.02.03.01 (Definitions) and 26.02.03.02 (Environmental Noise Standards) are adopted as the Environmental Noise Standards of the City of Annapolis.2.In addition to state standards, the City of Annapolis noise standards shall include:a.Sound levels. The maximum allowable decibel noise levels shall follow the Code of Maryland Regulations 26.02.03.02 (Environmental Noise Standards). The following chart shows sound levels allowed in specific City of Annapolis zoning districts. City Zoning Districts Maximum decibel level may not exceed: Daytime hours of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Nighttime hours of 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Residential zoning districts, as identified in Chapter 21.40 65 dBA 55 dBA Office and mixed use districts, as identified in Chapter 21.44 67 dBA 62 dBA Commercial and industrial zoning districts as identified in Chapter 21.42 75 dBA 75 dBA
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 2025 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Section 11.12.020 sets Annapolis's environmental noise standards by adopting COMAR 26.02.03.01-.02 and layering on a local decibel table: 65 dBA daytime (7 a.m.-10 p.m.) and 55 dBA nighttime (10 p.m.-7 a.m.) in residential zoning districts, 67/62 dBA in office and mixed-use districts, and 75 dBA around the clock in commercial and industrial districts. The chapter names only two categorical prohibitions - gas-powered leaf blowers and animal-deterrent sound emitters - and grants no separate exemption for construction equipment, so a jobsite in a residential zone must stay under 65/55 dBA or face enforcement under § 11.12.120.
Violations & Fines
Violating the noise limits is a municipal infraction under § 11.12.120, enforced by the Director of Planning and Zoning or the Police Chief; no warning is required, and each repeat offense by the same party escalates to the next-highest fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Annapolis exempt construction equipment from its noise ordinance?
What's the maximum construction noise level in an Annapolis residential zone during the day?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Annapolis
How Annapolis compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Annapolis to another location·View the Maryland noise ordinances overview
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