Merced County, CA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Merced County, 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 weekday hours
- 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Barred hours weekdays
- 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Weekends/holidays
- Barred entirely, except emergencies
- Enforcing officer
- Sheriff as noise control officer
- Cost recovery
- County can bill enforcement staff time
Summary
Unincorporated Merced County limits construction, drilling, earthmoving, and demolition noise to weekdays between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. The work is barred outside that window on weekdays and entirely on weekends and legal holidays, except for emergency repairs, under the county's noise control chapter.
Operating or permitting the operation of any tools or equipment used in construction, drilling, earthmoving, excavating, or demolition work between six p.m. and seven a.m. the following day on a weekday or at any time on a weekend day or legal holiday, except for emergency work, or when the sound level does not exceed any applicable relative or absolute limit specified in Section 10.60.030;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4930839; v8 updated 2026-06-02).
Full Breakdown
030. m. and the equipment is properly muffled and maintained; work outside that window gets no exemption. 070(E). 080, including staff time billed at a rate the Board sets by resolution, after a two-notice process (a Notice of Violation and a Final Notice) that gives the owner a chance to correct the condition before charges attach. An owner who disputes the costs may file a Request for Hearing with the noise control officer within 10 days of the Notice of Charges, along with an appeal fee.
Violations & Fines
Running prohibited construction equipment outside the 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekday window is an infraction under Section 1.28.030, escalating from $100 to $200 to $500 for repeat violations within a year. A second violation within a year may instead be prosecuted as a misdemeanor under Section 1.28.020, carrying up to $1,000 in fines or six months in County Jail. Continuing violations count as a separate offense each day under Section 1.28.040.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a contractor run equipment on Saturday in unincorporated Merced County?
What are the legal construction hours on a weekday?
What happens if I don't fix a construction noise violation after a warning?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Merced County
How Merced County compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·California rules heatmap·Compare Merced County to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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