Burlington, WI Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Burlington, WI, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 219-2A(5)
- Prohibited hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Exception authority
- City or City Administrator
- City-work exemption
- Approved municipal public works projects, § 219-3
- Chapter adopted
- 11-1-2011, Ord. No. 1936(13)
- First-offense forfeiture
- $5 to $500 plus costs
Summary
Burlington bars operating construction machinery, equipment or tools between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. as a per se noise violation, unless the City or its City Administrator authorizes an exception under City Code § 219-2.
(5) Unless otherwise authorized by the City and/or its City Administrator, the operation of any construction machinery, equipment, or tools between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4997580; v29 updated 2026-07-07; through 07-07-2026).
Full Breakdown
, unless the City or its City Administrator has authorized otherwise, giving contractors a nine-hour nighttime window in which construction noise cannot occur without prior sign-off. Because this is listed among the per se violations in § 219-2A, the City does not need to separately prove the noise was unreasonable once nighttime construction activity is shown; the timing alone establishes the violation. Section 219-3 carves out an exemption for any motor vehicle, construction equipment or tools operated by a City employee on City business, or by a contractor or its employees performing an approved municipal public works project, so City-run overnight infrastructure work is not swept in.
The general prohibition in § 219-1 still applies at all other hours, barring construction noise that is unreasonably loud or unreasonably disturbs the comfort, repose or peace of people nearby even during the daytime, judged against an average person of normal sensitivities. Chapter 219 was adopted 11-1-2011 by Ord. No. window can still be cited under the general prohibition.
Violations & Fines
A construction noise violation is punishable under the § 1-4 general penalty: a first offense forfeits $5 to $500 plus prosecution costs, and a second offense within one year forfeits $10 to $1,000, with unpaid forfeitures convertible to county jail time up to 90 days. Section 219-4B lets the City pursue additional remedies, including injunctive relief, against a contractor who repeatedly violates the nighttime construction limit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can construction equipment run in Burlington?
Can the City get an exception to Burlington's construction noise hours?
Is daytime construction noise ever restricted in Burlington?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Burlington
How Burlington compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Burlington to another location·View the Wisconsin noise ordinances overview
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