Bowie, MD Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)

Construction noise gets its own numbered clause inside Bowie's general nuisance-noise list. Section 13-3.A(8) bars the erection, including excavation, demolition, alteration or repair of any building or structure outside 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. A narrow emergency exception in § 13-4.D lets work happen between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on weekdays or 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. on weekends when it is necessary for public health and safety, but only with prior written permission from the City Manager, granted for up to three days at a time and renewable in three-day increments while the emergency continues; the City Manager can also authorize street or highway excavation outside normal hours to avoid loss or inconvenience to an interested party.

Because construction noise is frequently tied to development, the City Council wrote a heavier, targeted penalty for it: § 13-6.A(1) sets a $500 fine for a first violation of § 13-3.A(8) resulting from new residential or commercial development and $1,000 for each later violation, on top of the general municipal infraction framework in § 13-6. Section 13-6.B still applies on top of that, making each hour a violation continues a separate, additional offense, so out-of-hours work that runs for several hours can draw more than a single citation.