Bishop, CA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Bishop, CA, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Allowed hours
- 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- Code section
- BMC 8.12.010
- Applies to
- Construction and repair activity
- Parking-lot sweepers
- No noise before 7 a.m.
- Decibel cap
- None; nuisance standard
Summary
Bishop's noise ordinance carves out construction and repair activity, allowing it only between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Building or repairing before 7 a.m. or after 10 p.m. is not shielded and can be cited as unlawful noise.
...this chapter will not in any way affect, restrict or prohibit any of the activities incidental to construction or repairing being conducted after the hour of 7:00 a.m. or before the hour of 10:00 p.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
Bishop Municipal Code § 8.12.010 states the noise chapter 'will not in any way affect, restrict or prohibit any of the activities incidental to construction or repairing being conducted after the hour of 7:00 a.m. or before the hour of 10:00 p.m.' That protection is time-limited: work generating loud noise outside 7 a.m.-10 p.m. loses the exemption and can be enforced as prohibited noise. Related section 8.12.020(G) also bars parking-lot cleaning equipment near dwellings or motels before 7 a.m. There is no separate decibel cap for construction; the operative test is the general loud/unnecessary/unusual noise standard applied outside permitted hours.
Violations & Fines
Work outside 7 a.m.-10 p.m. is enforceable as unlawful noise under Chapter 8.12, abatable and citable through Code Enforcement/police.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can contractors work on Sundays or holidays in Bishop?
What if construction runs past 10 p.m.?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bishop
How Bishop compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·California rules heatmap·Compare Bishop to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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