Aurora, CO Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Aurora, CO, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- 7am-5pm limit
- 80 dBA (I-2 standard)
- 5pm-9pm limit
- 70 dBA (I-1 standard)
- 9pm-7am limit
- 45 dBA next to residential
- Trash compactors
- I-2 standard at all times
- Governing instrument
- UDO, not City Code
Summary
Aurora ties construction noise limits to time of day: loosest 7am-5pm, tighter 5pm-9pm, and residential-level limits overnight.
[1] Construction work is subject to standards applicable to the I-2 district from 7 am to 5 pm, the standards applicable to the I-1 district from 5 pm to 9 pm, and the standards based on adjacent land uses between 9 pm and 7am. Operation of trash compactor trucks is subject to the standards applicable to the I-2 district at all times.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-30, passed June 22, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Aurora's UDO does not set a blanket construction curfew; instead it ratchets down the decibel ceiling by time block. From 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., construction noise may reach the I-2 industrial limit (80 dBA). From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., the tighter I-1 industrial limit applies (70 dBA). Between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., construction must meet the standard for the adjacent land use, which is just 45 dBA next to residential property: effectively barring loud nighttime work. Trash compactor trucks are held to the I-2 standard around the clock.
Violations & Fines
Enforceable as a noise violation under the UDO; a sound-level exceedance measured at the neighboring property line is the trigger, not a fixed clock-out time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can construction crews work in Aurora at night?
Is Aurora's construction noise rule in the City Code or the UDO?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Aurora
How Aurora compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Aurora to another location·View the Colorado noise ordinances overview
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Construction Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Arapahoe County handle construction hours.