Bellingham, WA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)

Bellingham's construction-hours rule is codified directly in BMC 10.24.120(C) (public disturbance noise), which lists 'construction and industrial noises, including motorized construction and equipment operation, hammering, blasting, drilling and sawing' in residentially zoned areas between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. among the enumerated public disturbance noises. The result is a de facto residential construction window of 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. on any day. Bellingham, unlike Seattle (SMC 25.08), does not publish a separate weekday vs. weekend / holiday split inside BMC 10.24, so the same 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. window applies seven days a week. Construction noise outside that window in a residential zone is a civil infraction (up to $250) on the first offense, escalating to misdemeanor on the second offense (up to $1,000 / 90 days). Daytime construction (7 a.m. - 10 p.m.) is exempt from the residential-zone clock-time bar but can still be cited under BMC 10.24.120(A) if it amounts to a frequent, repetitive or continuous sound that unreasonably disturbs peace, comfort, and repose. WAC 173-60-050(4) exempts sounds originating from temporary construction sites as a result of construction activity from state Maximum Environmental Noise Levels, except between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. when affecting Class A (residential) receiving property - the state framework therefore mirrors the BMC window for residential-receiving sites. Major active Bellingham construction (Waterfront District redevelopment on the former Georgia-Pacific mill site, Western Washington University capital projects, downtown infill, and BNSF rail-corridor work) typically operates inside the 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. window; WSDOT and franchise utility work in the public right-of-way operates under state and federal noise-abatement criteria. Building permits and inspections are administered by City of Bellingham Planning & Community Development under the Washington State Building Code (RCW 19.27).