Asheville, NC Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Asheville, NC, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Permitted hours
- 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m., Mon-Sat
- After-hours cap
- 3 twelve-hour periods per 7 days
- Neighbor notice
- 72 hrs advance, addresses within 500 ft
- Penalty
- $500 civil fine plus stop-work order
- Issuing official
- Chief building official
- Governing section
- City Code Sec. 10-87
Summary
Asheville limits permitted construction activity to 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, absent an after-hours permit from the chief building official. Violators face a stop-work order plus a $500 civil penalty under Sec. 10-87.
(b) Except where otherwise permitted in this article, no construction activity performed pursuant to a permit issued under chapter 4 of the City Code may be performed outside the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday absent an after-hours permit issued by the city's chief building official or their designee... (g) Failure to obtain an after-hours permit, or comply with any condition contained therein, shall constitute a violation of this section, and the chief building official shall be authorized to issue a stop work order for any permit issued to the violating party. In addition, violation of this section shall subject the offender to a civil penalty in the amount of $500.00.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-5: Contains Supplement, current through Ordinance 5245, passed 7-28-2026 | State legislation current through 2025 A.L.S. #3).
Full Breakdown
Sec. m. " Subsection (c) requires after-hours applicants to certify that written notice, including contact information, dates, times and purposes, reaches every address within 500 feet of the property at least 72 hours before the work. Subsection (d) lets the city attach mitigation conditions, from equipment restrictions to sound-reducing barriers. Subsection (e) allows the chief building official to modify or revoke a permit if sound exceeds the exterior sound-level standard set in Sec. 10-83. Subsection (f) permits emergency construction without an after-hours permit when necessary for public health or safety, a determination that can be made even after the work occurred.
There is no exception carved out for Sundays in this section, meaning routine permitted construction work is barred that day entirely absent the after-hours process.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 10-87(g): "Failure to obtain an after-hours permit, or comply with any condition contained therein, shall constitute a violation of this section, and the chief building official shall be authorized to issue a stop work order for any permit issued to the violating party. In addition, violation of this section shall subject the offender to a civil penalty in the amount of $500.00."
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can construction crews legally work in Asheville?
How do I get approval to work later or on a Sunday?
What's the penalty for construction noise outside permitted hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Asheville
How Asheville compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Asheville to another location·View the North Carolina noise ordinances overview
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