Island County, WA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)

Island County does not set construction hours in a stand-alone building-permit rule; it builds the schedule into the noise-exemption list of Chapter 9.60. Section 9.60.030(B) lists categories of sound the public-disturbance-noise prohibition in (A) does not reach, and (B)(6) exempts 'sounds originating between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. from temporary construction sites as a result of construction activity.' A companion exemption at (B)(5) covers 'sounds originating between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. from residential property relating to temporary projects for the maintenance or repair of homes, grounds and appurtenances,' and (B)(8) applies the identical 7:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. window to blasting.

Read together with the general prohibition in § 9.60.030(A), the effect is that construction noise outside 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. is not automatically exempt and can be prosecuted as a public disturbance noise if it unreasonably disturbs a neighboring property owner's peace, comfort, or repose. Violations of § 9.60.030 outside the exempt window are penalized under § 9.60.040(A): a first offense in a year is a Class 4 civil infraction at $25.00, a second is a Class 2 civil infraction at $125.00, and a third or subsequent offense within the year is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and 90 days in jail.

Section 9.60.040(B) confirms a sound-level meter reading is not required, and the Island County Sheriff's Office enforces the chapter under Chapter 7.80 RCW procedures per § 9.60.040(C).