Chelan County, WA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Chelan County, WA, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Applies within
- 1,000 ft of an occupied residence
- Enforcing agency
- Community Development, notice and order
- First/repeat civil fine
- $750 first, $1,500 repeat
- Fine waiver
- Administrator may waive if issued in error or cured
Summary
Construction activity within one thousand feet of an occupied residence in unincorporated Chelan County cannot run between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., under Chelan County Code Section 11.88.190. Community Development enforces the curfew as a zoning violation, backed by civil fines under Chapter 16.16.
§ 11.88.190. Construction hours in and near residential areas. No construction activity shall be permitted within one thousand feet of an occupied residence between the hours of ten p.m. to seven a.m.
Full Breakdown
m. The rule applies countywide in the unincorporated area and is not limited to a particular zoning district or type of project; it covers any construction activity, whether a new building, an addition, or site work, once it falls inside that one-thousand-foot radius of an occupied home. The provision was adopted by Resolution 2003-07 and carried forward through the county's 2020 zoning code recodification, Resolution 2020-68. 16, apply if a contractor or property owner keeps equipment or crews running during the curfew hours after being notified.
The rule is separate from, and in addition to, any hours the county's noise chapter or a specific development's conditions of approval might otherwise set for a project.
Violations & Fines
A contractor or property owner running construction activity within a thousand feet of an occupied home between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. can be issued a notice and order under Chapter 16.06 requiring the activity to stop. If the violation is not corrected in the timeframe the notice sets, the county assesses a civil fine of $750 for a first violation and $1,500 for a repeat violation under Chapter 16.16, and the administrator can waive part or all of a fine only if it was issued in error or the violation has since been cured.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time can construction start near my home in unincorporated Chelan County?
How far away must construction be to fall under the curfew?
What's the fine for violating construction hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chelan County
How Chelan County compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Chelan County to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
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