Brown County, WI Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Brown County, WI, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Exempt days
- Mon-Sat daytime hours
- Shielding trigger
- jobs over 10 days
- Where required
- residential districts only
- Applies in
- unincorporated towns only
Summary
Brown County exempts construction sites and public-works projects from its daytime noise-level caps, but the equipment still has to be run and maintained to minimize noise, and long jobs near homes must be shielded.
The daytime
criteria, as set forth in (2), shall not apply to construction sites, public utilities, and public
works projects and operations during daytime hours Monday through Saturday, however, the
noise shall be minimized through proper equipment operations and maintenance. The
nighttime criteria, as set forth in (2), shall not apply to municipal employees and personnel
engaged in the collection of solid waste during nighttime hours Monday through Friday.
Stationary equipment on construction projects lasting more than 10 days within residential
districts shall be shielded or located to prevent unnecessary noise.
(b) Emergency Operations. Emergency short-term operations necessary to protect the health and welfare of the citizens.
(c) Noises Required By Law. Any noise required specifically by law for the
protection, health, welfare, or safety of people or property.
(d) Power Equipment.Power equipment during daytime hours such as lawn mowers, small lawn and garden tools, and riding tractors necessary for the maintenance of property, kept in good repair and maintenance, which, when new, would not comply with the standards set forth in this section.
(e) Snow Removal Equipment. The use of snow removal equipment to remove snow from a path of travel.
(f) Residential Air Conditioners. Noise emitted by residential air conditioners in good working order.
Full Breakdown
Brown County Code § 39.01(6)(a) excuses construction sites, public utility projects and public-works operations from the Chapter 39 daytime decibel tables on weekdays and Saturdays, but requires that noise be minimized through proper equipment operation and maintenance. Stationary equipment on a construction project that runs more than 10 days in a residential district must be shielded or located to prevent unnecessary noise. The exemption applies in the unincorporated towns of Brown County, Wisconsin; incorporated cities and villages such as Green Bay and De Pere set their own construction-noise rules.
Violations & Fines
Operating outside the exemption's terms exposes a contractor to the general Chapter 39 forfeiture: $100 to $500 for a first offense, $200 to $1,000 for each repeat violation, under § 39.02.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is construction noise unlimited during the day?
What about nighttime construction?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brown County
How Brown County compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Brown County to another location·View the Wisconsin noise ordinances overview
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