Stanislaus County, CA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)

Stanislaus County controls construction noise in its unincorporated areas through Section 10.46.060(E) of the County Code's Noise Control Ordinance (Chapter 10.46). The provision states that no person shall operate any construction equipment so as to cause, at or beyond the property line of any property on which a dwelling unit is located, an average sound level greater than 75 decibels between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. In practical terms this restricts loud construction work to roughly daytime hours (7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.), since after 7:00 p.m. the 75-decibel ceiling at a neighbor's dwelling line applies until 7:00 a.m. the next morning. "Construction equipment" is defined in Section 10.46.030 as any machine used in the construction, erection, enlargement, alteration, conversion, or movement of any building, structure, or land, including associated surveying. Note that construction or maintenance work performed by or at the direction of a public entity or public utility is exempt under Section 10.46.080(J). The Sheriff's Department enforces the chapter (Section 10.46.100), and property owners may apply to the Planning Commission for a waiver under Section 10.46.090 if compliance imposes an unreasonable hardship.