Austin, TX Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Austin, TX, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Quiet window
- 10:30 p.m.-7:00 a.m., none audible
- Aggregate/concrete ban
- 7:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m. within 600 ft
- Overnight concrete
- Only via Sec. 9-2-21 permit
- Enforcing agency
- Austin Development Services / Code
- Penalty
- Class C misdemeanor, up to $500
Summary
Austin construction and heavy-equipment noise near homes is confined to 7:00 a.m. through 10:30 p.m. under City Code Section 9-2-3. Aggregate machinery and concrete pours within 600 feet of a residence are banned from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
(A) A person may not: ... (2) make noise or play a musical instrument audible to an adjacent business or residence between 10:30 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.; (3) operate a machine that separates, gathers, grades, loads, or unloads sand, rock, or gravel within 600 feet of a residence, church, hospital, hotel, or motel between 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. ... (D) Violation of Chapter 9-2 ... [is] chargeable as a Class C misdemeanor by a fine upon conviction not to exceed $500. Proof of a culpable mental state is expressly waived.
Full Breakdown
City Code Section 9-2-3 bars any noise audible to an adjacent residence between 10:30 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and prohibits operating a machine that separates, gathers, grades, loads, or unloads sand, rock, or gravel within 600 feet of a residence, church, hospital, hotel, or motel between 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Concrete installation inside that 600-foot buffer is likewise blocked overnight unless the Development Services Department grants a non-peak-hour permit under Section 9-2-21, which is limited to downtown Central Business District sites justified by public safety or urgent necessity. Austin Code enforces the rule as a Class C misdemeanor.
Violations & Fines
Enforced by Austin Code as a Class C misdemeanor carrying a fine up to $500 per violation. Proof of a culpable mental state is waived, so contractors face liability without any showing of intent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can construction run overnight in Austin?
How can concrete be poured at night?
What is the penalty for after-hours construction noise?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Austin
How Austin compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Texas rules heatmap·Compare Austin to another location·View the Texas noise ordinances overview
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Construction Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Travis County handle construction hours.