Chico, CA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Chico, CA, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Equipment cap
- 83 dBA at 25 ft
- Site cap
- 86 dBA at property line
- Scope
- Applies during permitted hours too
- Enforcement
- Chico Municipal Code Chapter 9.38
Summary
Chico limits construction equipment to 83 dBA at 25 feet and 86 dBA at the property line, even during permitted work hours, under the city's noise ordinance.
No individual device or piece of equipment shall produce a noise level exceeding eighty-three (83) dBA at a distance of twenty-five (25) feet from the source... The noise level at any point outside of the property plane of the project shall not exceed eighty-six (86) dBA.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Supplement contains local legislation current through: Codified Resolution No. 53-26, adopted 7-14-26 and Ordinance No. 2622, adopted 6-2-26).
Full Breakdown
Chico Municipal Code Section 9.38.060.B treats construction and equipment noise as exempt from the city's general noise standards only if it stays within hard caps: no single tool or machine may exceed 83 dBA measured 25 feet from the source, and total noise at the edge of the project site may not exceed 86 dBA. These numbers apply on top of, not instead of, the separate rule restricting which hours construction can run. Equipment that runs louder than these levels, even inside permitted hours, loses its exemption and becomes an enforceable noise violation.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the dBA caps is enforced as an infraction under Chapter 9.38, with fines set by council resolution plus Butte County Superior Court fees; repeat violations can be charged as misdemeanors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Chico limit how loud construction equipment can be?
Do these limits apply even during allowed construction hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chico
How Chico compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·California rules heatmap·Compare Chico to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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