Haverford, PA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Haverford, PA, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Noise exemption window
- 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. under § 117-6(B)
- Covered work
- Construction, repair and maintenance of any building or structure
- Daytime hours defined
- 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
- Sporadic noise limit
- 57 decibels by day, 52 at night
- Street permit work hours
- 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. under § 157-29
- Maximum fine
- $1,000 plus costs; up to 90 days jail
Summary
In Haverford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, noise from construction work and from repair and maintenance of any building or structure is exempt from the Noise chapter only between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Outside those hours the exemption does not apply. Violations of Chapter 117 carry a fine up to $1,000.
A. Traffic noises, noises created by governmental units and noises created by emergency and civil defense activities shall be exempt from the application of this chapter. B. Noises created by construction work and the repair and maintenance of any building or structure shall be exempt, but only during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 117 of the Haverford Township Code, adopted 3-12-1973 by Ord. No. 1509 of the Board of Commissioners, does not set a separate construction schedule. It sets sound-pressure limits and then carves out an exemption, and the exemption is what fixes the hours. Section 117-6(B) exempts noises created by construction work and the repair and maintenance of any building or structure, but only during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Work noise outside that window loses the exemption and is measured against the chapter like any other sound. Section 117-6(A) separately exempts traffic noises, noises created by governmental units and noises created by emergency and civil defense activities.
The chapter's own clock matters when a complaint is measured. Section 117-1 defines daytime hours as 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and nighttime hours as 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Section 117-4 bars any person from creating sporadic noise that exceeds 57 decibels during daylight hours or 52 decibels during nighttime hours, measured in the 600 to 1,200 cycles per second frequency band. Section 117-3 sets continuous-noise limits by frequency band, with an inside table and an outside table, and gives the Director of Code Enforcement the final say before a violating unit is returned to service.
Two other Township hour windows differ from the noise exemption. Section 76-4(A)(4)(c), the environmental performance standard for nonresidential uses, exempts temporary construction activity between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Section 157-29(B), which governs permitted work in the street right-of-way, provides that no work shall commence before 7:00 a.m. nor continue after 8:00 p.m. unless specifically authorized by the Township Manager to reduce interruption of services. A contractor working on a house in Haverford Township should treat 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. as the window in which Chapter 117 shields the noise, and a utility crew working under a street permit as bound by the 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. rule in the permit article.
Violations & Fines
Under § 117-7, a person who violates Chapter 117 is subject, on summary conviction before a District Justice, to a fine of not more than $1,000 plus costs of prosecution, and a violator who does not pay can be sentenced to county jail for not more than 90 days. Each day in violation is a separate offense. Street-work permittees who run outside 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. without the Township Manager's authorization breach § 157-29 of the street permit article.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can construction run in Haverford Township?
Does the construction noise exemption cover repairs and maintenance?
Who can authorize street work after 8:00 p.m. in Haverford Township?
What is the penalty for violating the Noise chapter?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Haverford
How Haverford compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Haverford to another location·View the Pennsylvania noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.