Eugene, OR Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Eugene, OR, 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
- 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Governing section
- EC 6.750(d)
- Variance decision time
- 14 days (30 with hearing)
- General fine
- Up to $200 per violation
- Civil penalty cap
- Up to $2,000/day
- Code currency
- Current through Ord. 20739 (June 8, 2026)
Summary
Eugene bars construction, demolition, and repair work on buildings, streets, sidewalks, driveways, sewers, and utility lines between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. under EC 6.750(d). The rule sits in the Environmental Noise Disturbance chapter, last amended by Ordinance No. 20680 in 2023; the Eugene Code is current through Ordinance No. 20739, passed June 8, 2026.
(d) Construction or repair of buildings, streets, etc. Constructing (including excavating), demolishing, altering, or repairing any building, street, sidewalk, driveway, sewer or utility line between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. the following day.
Full Breakdown
EC 6.750(d) declares it a noise disturbance to construct, including excavate, demolish, alter, or repair any building, street, sidewalk, driveway, sewer, or utility line between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. the following day, so daytime work is allowed only from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The prohibition sits inside EC 6.750's broader list of specific noise disturbances, which the code says is not an exclusive definition of what violates the general noise-disturbance standard in EC 4.080. EC 6.755 exempts a narrow set of sounds from EC 6.750, including work necessary to restore property to a safe condition after a public calamity, work to protect persons or property from imminent danger, and sounds produced by the city, county, or state (and their contractors) doing road, water-line, or tree and landscape maintenance, street sweeping, or garbage removal.
A contractor who cannot finish within the 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. window may apply to the city manager under EC 6.755(2) for a variance; the application requires a fee set under EC 2.020, and the city must give written notice to the neighborhood association, post notice at the site, and notify owners and occupants within 300 feet. The city manager must grant or deny the variance within 14 days of a complete application, or 30 days if a hearing is held, and a denial or revocation can be appealed under EC 2.021. EC 6.750 was last substantively amended by Ordinance No. 20680, effective January 24, 2023.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of EC 6.750(d) is punishable under EC 6.992 by a fine of up to $200. The city manager can instead, or in addition, pursue an administrative civil penalty under EC 6.995, applying the EC 2.018 procedure, which caps penalties for this chapter at $2,000 per day after the city tries voluntary correction and issues a correction order. Penalties can be appealed to a hearings officer under EC 2.021, and unpaid administrative penalties can become a lien against the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can construction noise happen in Eugene?
Can a contractor get permission to work later?
Is city road or utility work exempt from the curfew?
What happens if a contractor ignores the curfew?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Eugene
Compare Eugene to another location·View the Oregon noise ordinances overview
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