Decatur, GA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Decatur, GA, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Weekday hours
- 7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Mon-Fri
- Saturday hours
- 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
- Sunday
- No window; work barred near residential
- Trigger distance
- Within 300 ft of a residential district
- Emergency permit
- City manager, up to 30 days
- Quiet-work exception
- Under 60 dB(A) at property line
- Penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine/6 months (§ 1-12)
Summary
Building erection, demolition, alteration, repair and street excavation within 300 feet of any residential zoning district in Decatur, DeKalb County, Georgia may run only 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday, under Code § 42-59(8), absent an emergency permit.
(8)Building operations, excavation of streets; permit from city manager. The erection (including excavation and site development), demolition, alteration or repair of any building in or within 300 feet of any residential zoning district in the city, and the excavation of streets and highways in or within 300 feet of any residential zoning district in the city, other than between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday and between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, except in case of urgent necessity in the interest of public health and safety, and then only with a permit of the city manager, which permit may be granted for a period not to exceed 30 days while the emergency continues. ... Exception: This subsection shall not apply to operations which are carried on in such a manner or in such a location as not to create sound exceeding 60 dB(A), when measured at or beyond the property boundary of the property from which the sound emanates.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 28).
Full Breakdown
m. on Saturday. Because the subsection lists no Sunday window at all, work of that kind within 300 feet of a residential district cannot proceed on Sundays under this rule. An exception exists for urgent necessity involving public health and safety, but only with a permit from the city manager, and that permit can run no longer than 30 days while the emergency continues. The subsection also carves out a decibel-based exception: none of the hour restrictions apply to operations carried on in a manner or location that does not create sound exceeding 60 dB(A) measured at or beyond the property boundary, so genuinely quiet work is not limited to daytime hours at all.
Violations & Fines
Section 42-56 folds construction-hour violations into the noise article's general penalty in § 1-12: up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in jail, or both, with each day of out-of-hours work chargeable as a separate offense; the city manager's emergency permit is the only route around the schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can construction crews work near homes in Decatur, GA?
Can construction happen on Sunday in Decatur near a residential district?
Is there any way to get an exception for urgent construction work?
Does quiet construction equipment still have to follow the hour limits?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Decatur
How Decatur compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Decatur to another location·View the Georgia noise ordinances overview
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