Amador County, CA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)

Amador County's code does not contain a dedicated construction-hours ordinance that fixes specific start and stop times for building, grading, or demolition in the unincorporated county. The public nuisance noise ordinance (Chapter 9.44) does not mention construction, power equipment, or set numeric decibel thresholds. Instead, construction noise falls under the general prohibition on making any disturbing, excessive, or offensive noise, and under the rule that noise plainly audible from a neighboring property between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. is a prima facie violation. In practice this means early-morning and late-night construction is the most exposed to enforcement, while normal daytime work is generally tolerated unless it rises to a nuisance. Factors the county weighs include the noise level, the surrounding ambient noise, proximity to residences, zoning, time of day, and duration. Because Amador County's Planning Department administers Title 19 (the zoning ordinance) and issues land-use and building-related permits, specific projects may carry permit conditions or conditions of approval that restrict work hours on that site even though no countywide hour limit exists. Anyone planning construction in communities like Martell, Pine Grove, or the Shenandoah Valley should confirm project-specific conditions with the Planning Department at (209) 223-6380.