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Dougherty County, GA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Construction hours in Dougherty County, GA, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.

Key Facts

Allowed hours
6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Covers
Pile drivers, jackhammers, hoists, demolition
Dumpster noise
Same 6 a.m.-10 p.m. window
Variance path
Planning and Development Services Dept.
Max penalty
$1,000 fine / 60 days jail

Summary

Construction and repair work that produces loud or unusual noise, including pile drivers, jackhammers, and hoists, is barred in unincorporated Dougherty County outside 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. under the county's Noise Ordinance. Ordinary daytime construction activity is separately exempt from the general daytime decibel standard.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Dougherty County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

(4)Construction or repair of buildings. The erection (including excavation), demolition, alteration or repair of any building, as well as the operation of any pile driver, steam shovel, pneumatic hammer, derrick, steam or electric hoist, or any other similar equipment, attended by loud or unusual noise, other than between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. is prohibited. ... Exemptions. The following activities or sources of noise shall be exempt from the daytime prohibition set forth in subsection (b) of this section: ... 3.Activities related to the construction, repair, maintenance, remodeling or demolition, grading or other improvement of real property, except as further regulated pursuant to section 2-8-47(4) above.

View official code

Full Breakdown

Section 2-8-47(4) of Dougherty County's Noise Ordinance (Ordinance No. m. Outside that window, construction noise of this kind is unlawful regardless of decibel level. window to loud dumpster-emptying noise. Because ordinary daytime construction could otherwise trigger the article's general nuisance and decibel provisions, Section 2-8-49(e)(3) exempts activities related to construction, repair, maintenance, remodeling, demolition, or grading of real property from the daytime decibel prohibition in Section 2-8-47(9)(b), except as further regulated by the specific construction-hours rule in Section 2-8-47(4) itself. window can apply to the appeals board for a special variance under Section 2-8-50 by filing with the Planning and Development Services Department and showing that compliance would create an unreasonable hardship on the applicant, the community, or other persons.

Violations & Fines

Running loud construction equipment or performing noisy demolition or repair work outside the 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. window is punishable under the county's general penalty, Section 2-1-8: up to a $1,000 fine, up to 60 days in jail, or both, with every additional day of after-hours work treated as a separate offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

What hours can construction crews make noise in unincorporated Dougherty County?
Section 2-8-47(4) allows loud construction, demolition, alteration, or repair noise, including pile drivers and jackhammers, only between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Work involving that kind of equipment outside those hours violates the county's Noise Ordinance regardless of how loud it actually is.
Does emptying a dumpster early in the morning break the noise rule?
Yes, if it is loud and occurs before 6:00 a.m. or after 10:00 p.m. Section 2-8-47(5) applies that identical daytime window to the loud and excessive noise created by emptying dumpsters in unincorporated Dougherty County, with the same general penalty under Section 2-1-8 for a violation.
Can a contractor ever get permission to work at night?
Yes. Section 2-8-50 lets the appeals board grant a special variance if the applicant files with the Planning and Development Services Department and shows that meeting the 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. rule would create an unreasonable hardship on the applicant, the community, or other people.
Is all daytime construction activity automatically exempt from every noise rule?
Not from Section 2-8-47(4) itself. Section 2-8-49(e)(3) exempts routine daytime construction, repair, remodeling, demolition, and grading from the separate decibel ceiling in Section 2-8-47(9)(b), but that exemption specifically does not override the equipment-noise hours rule in Section 2-8-47(4).

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Dougherty County

Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash LawsSome RestrictionsDecibel LimitsSome RestrictionsAmplified Music & Outdoor SoundSome RestrictionsVehicle NoiseSome RestrictionsBarking DogsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Abandoned VehiclesSignificant RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: MicrochippingSome RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Breed RestrictionsSignificant RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Cat RulesFew RestrictionsFire Regulations: Outdoor BurningSome Restrictions

All Dougherty County rules

How Dougherty County compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Dougherty County to another location·View the Georgia noise ordinances overview

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