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Charlottesville, VA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)

Some Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Construction hours in Charlottesville, VA, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.

Key Facts

Daytime construction noise: No decibel cap, 6am-10pm exempt
Nighttime cap still applies: 55 dB(A), 10pm-6am
Enforcing agency: Charlottesville Police Department
Penalty: Class 4 misdemeanor
Measured at: Property boundary

Summary

In the City of Charlottesville, Virginia, construction, repair, remodeling, demolition and grading noise is exempt from the citywide 65 dB(A) daytime sound cap, so contractors can run loud equipment between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. without a decibel limit. City Code Section 16-8 still holds every noise source, including job sites, to the nighttime cap of 55 dB(A) in residential zones between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

(a)Nighttime. No person shall permit, operate or cause any source of sound to create a sound level in a residential zone or within any residential building during the hours between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. in excess of fifty-five (55) dB(A) when measured at or outside the property boundary. ... (d)Exemptions. The following activities or sources of noise shall be exempt from the daytime prohibition set forth in subsection (b) of this section: ... (3)Activities related to the construction, repair, maintenance, remodeling or demolition, grading or other improvement of real property.

View official code

Full Breakdown

m. , and it is not exempt from the separate Downtown Business District noise rule in Section 16-10, which bars any sound generation that 'unreasonably disturbs the comfort, health, peace, quiet, safety, or welfare of others' in that district regardless of decibel reading. The police department administers and enforces Chapter 16 under Section 16-4, using a certified sound level meter under Section 16-12 when a decibel violation is charged. A property owner, tenant, resident or manager present where noise originates is rebuttably presumed responsible if the actual operator of the noise source cannot be identified, per Section 16-5(b).

Violations & Fines

A first Chapter 16 violation, including running loud construction equipment past the 55 dB(A) nighttime residential cap, is a Class 4 misdemeanor under Section 16-5(a), Charlottesville's lowest misdemeanor class. The person actually operating or controlling the noise source is liable; if the police cannot identify that person, any owner, tenant, resident or manager on site is rebuttably presumed guilty under Section 16-5(b).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can construction crews work at any hour in Charlottesville?

The noise ordinance does not set fixed construction hours, but timing still affects decibel limits. Section 16-8(d)(3) exempts construction, remodeling, demolition and grading noise only from the daytime 65 dB(A) cap that runs 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Once night falls, the same job site must meet the 55 dB(A) nighttime limit that Section 16-8(a) applies to every residential-zone noise source.

What decibel limit applies to a construction site at night?

55 dB(A), measured at or outside the property boundary, the same nighttime limit Section 16-8(a) sets for any sound source in a residential zone between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. The daytime construction exemption in Section 16-8(d)(3) does not extend past 10:00 p.m.

Who enforces Charlottesville's construction noise limits?

The Charlottesville Police Department administers Chapter 16 under Section 16-4, and an officer measures disputed noise with a certified sound level meter under Section 16-12. A violation is a Class 4 misdemeanor under Section 16-5, and the certificate the officer issues is admissible in court as evidence of the reading.

Sources & Official References

[1]Charlottesville City Code, Ch. 16 - Noise Control

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How Charlottesville compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Charlottesville to another location·View the Virginia noise ordinances overview

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