De Pere, WI Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in De Pere, WI, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Exempt hours
- 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Monday-Saturday
- Sundays
- Not covered by the construction exemption
- Extended equipment rule
- Shielding required past 10 days in residential areas
- Variance authority
- Director of public works
- Variance lead time
- At least 10 calendar days before start
- Appeal path
- Board of public works, within 10 days
Summary
De Pere exempts construction and public-utility work from its noise limits only during daytime hours, Monday through Saturday; work outside that window, including Sundays, falls back under the full numeric noise limits or needs a written variance from the director of public works.
Day or daytime means the hours between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. ... a.Construction sites; public utility projects. The criteria, as set forth in section 146-9, shall not apply to construction sites and public utilities projects during the daytime hours from Monday through Saturday, inclusive; provided, however, that noise production shall be minimized through proper equipment operation, maintenance or modifications thereto. Stationary equipment on construction projects lasting more than ten days within residential districts shall be shielded or located so as not to cause excessive noise.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 9).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 146 of the De Pere Code of Ordinances defines 'day or daytime' as the hours between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. (Section 146-3). Section 146-7(1)a builds the construction exemption around that definition: the numeric noise limits in Section 146-9 do not apply to construction sites and public utility projects during daytime hours, Monday through Saturday, inclusive, though operators still have to minimize noise through proper equipment operation and maintenance. Stationary equipment on a construction project that runs more than ten days in a residential district must be shielded or relocated so it does not create excessive noise.
Because the exemption is limited to Monday through Saturday daytime, construction noise on Sundays, or before 7:00 a.m. or after 10:00 p.m. any day, falls back under the full numeric limits of Section 146-9's Table 1-1 rather than being exempt.
A project that genuinely needs to run outside those hours, or expects to exceed the noise table's limits, can apply to the director of public works for a variance at least ten calendar days before the site or project starts. The director reviews the location and probable noise impact with the health officer, sets terms and conditions to protect public health and welfare, and can revoke the variance for noncompliance. If granted, the applicant must notify neighboring property owners identified by the health officer before work begins, and a denial can be appealed to the board of public works within ten days.
Violations & Fines
Construction noise that runs outside the Monday-through-Saturday daytime exemption, without an approved variance, is treated as excessive noise under Chapter 146 and can be summarily abated in addition to the forfeiture the common council sets by resolution; each day the violation continues counts as a separate offense under Section 146-13.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can construction crews make noise in De Pere?
Can a De Pere construction project get approval to work outside normal hours?
Are there special rules for long-running construction equipment in De Pere?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in De Pere
How De Pere compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare De Pere to another location·View the Wisconsin noise ordinances overview
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Construction Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Brown County handle construction hours.