St. Tammany Parish, LA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in St. Tammany Parish, LA, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Daytime construction noise
- Exempt from decibel limits
- Nighttime construction noise
- Zone's nighttime dB(A) cap still applies
- Residential nighttime cap
- 60 dB(A), starts 9 p.m./10 p.m.
- Governing section
- Code of Ordinances § 26-114
- Default penalty
- $300 fine plus court costs, § 1-9
Summary
Construction work in St. Tammany Parish is exempt from the daytime decibel limits in the noise ordinance, but the nighttime maximum still applies at all times, meaning loud construction can run all day but must drop to the nighttime cap once the evening curfew hour hits.
(a)Emergency work, or sounds from an emergency vehicle, shall be exempt from this article.(b)Construction activity shall be exempt from daytime decibel restrictions but the maximum nighttime sound levels shall apply in all instances.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 12 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Code of Ordinances § 26-114, titled 'Special notes and general statements,' carves out two exemptions from the parish's Article IV sound-level rules. Subsection (a) exempts emergency work and sounds from emergency vehicles outright. Subsection (b) addresses construction specifically: construction activity is exempt from the daytime decibel restrictions set out in § 26-113, but the maximum nighttime sound levels apply in all instances. in commercial and industrial zones), the applicable zone's nighttime cap of 60 to 65 dB(A) governs construction noise the same as any other source.
The ordinance does not set a separate curfew hour for when construction must stop; instead it folds construction into the general nighttime ceiling established zone-by-zone in § 26-113. Enforcement of Article IV runs through the parish's noise-nuisance framework in §§ 26-1 and 26-2, with the enforcing agency evaluating complaints by the same three-reading, mean-decibel method used for any other noise source under § 26-113(b).
Violations & Fines
Because § 26-114 sets no separate penalty, a construction noise violation of the nighttime cap falls under the parish's general penalty, § 1-9: a misdemeanor fine of $300.00 plus 22nd Judicial District Court costs, with each day of continuing violation treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a contractor run loud equipment during the day in St. Tammany Parish?
Is there a curfew for construction noise at night?
Are emergency repair crews exempt from the noise ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Tammany Parish
How St. Tammany Parish compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare St. Tammany Parish to another location·View the Louisiana noise ordinances overview
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