Compton, CA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Compton, CA, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Permitted hours
- 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m., Monday-Saturday
- Sunday construction noise
- not permitted outdoors
- Emergency permit
- from Building Official, max 3 days
- Renewable
- so long as the emergency exists
- Equipment covered
- pile drivers, steam shovels, hoists, hammers
Summary
Compton confines noisy building work, pile driving and excavation to 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, under Municipal Code Section 7-12.22, unless the noise stays fully enclosed inside a building or the Building Official issues a short emergency permit.
No person shall cause or permit any work to be done or do any work on the erection (including excavation), unless the noise caused thereby is confined within a building, or use any pile driver, steam shovel, pneumatic hammer, derrick, steam or electric hoist, unless the noise caused thereby is confined within a building, other than between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Monday through Saturday, except in cases of urgent necessity in the interest of public health and safety and then only with a permit from the Building Official. No such permit shall be granted for a period of more than three days, but may be renewed from time to time so long as the emergency exists.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4952997; v15 updated 2026-07-14; through 07-14-2026).
Full Breakdown
m. Monday through Saturday, unless the resulting noise is confined entirely within a building. That leaves no exterior construction noise permitted at all on Sundays. The only exception is for 'urgent necessity in the interest of public health and safety,' which requires a permit from the Building Official; that permit cannot run longer than three days at a time, though it may be renewed repeatedly as long as the emergency continues. -12:00 midnight Monday through Saturday unless the noise can't be heard beyond 50 feet from the lot.
m. Monday through Saturday and all day Sunday unless confined inside a building, with the same three-day, renewable emergency-permit process run through the Building Department instead of the Building Official.
Violations & Fines
A contractor who runs prohibited equipment outside the permitted hours, or without a Building Official emergency permit, is guilty of a misdemeanor under Section 7-12.5, punishable under Chapter 1, Section 1-6.2 by a fine up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail. Each day the work continues outside the legal window is charged as a separate offense, and the City may also seek a civil injunction to stop the noise as a nuisance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can construction noise legally occur in Compton?
Can a contractor ever work outside those hours?
Are industrial and manufacturing sites held to different hours?
What's the penalty for violating construction hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Compton
How Compton compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·California rules heatmap·Compare Compton to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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Construction Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle construction hours.