Jacksonville, FL Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Jacksonville, FL, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Overnight equipment exception
- generators, mudhogs, well point pumps only
- Exception noise cap
- 60 dBA maximum
- Civil penalty
- $250 per minor violation
- Continuing violation
- each day is a separate offense
- Enforced by
- Environmental Protection Board Department staff
Summary
Jacksonville's noise ordinance bars construction work between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. under Ordinance Code Sec. 360.701(a)(29). Generators, mudhogs, and well point pumps may keep running overnight, but only if they stay at or under 60 dBA. The Environmental Protection Board's Department can ticket violators directly, without a full court case, and each violation carries a $250 civil penalty.
(29)Allowing or performing construction between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., in violation of the Board's rules with respect to noise pollution control. However, generators, mudhogs, and well point pumps may be operated during this time period, but sound emitted from the operation of this equipment shall not exceed 60 dBA, in violation of the Board's rules with respect to noise pollution control. ... (b)Each such minor violation shall be subject to a civil penalty of $250.(c)Each day during any part of which an offense, specified in subsection (a) occurs shall constitute a separate offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 6 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 701 lets the Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board, acting through its Department staff, write citations for a defined list of 'minor violations' instead of pursuing a full enforcement case under Chapter 360's Part 4. , in violation of the Board's noise pollution control rules. The section carves out one exception: generators, mudhogs, and well point pumps can keep running through the curfew, but only if the sound they produce does not exceed 60 dBA. Anyone running louder equipment during those hours, or doing any other construction work at all in that window, is ticketable.
Because this is a minor-violation track, the Department issues the citation directly rather than building a full case the way a Part 4 nuisance action would require. for a full week can rack up seven separate $250 citations. Builders working late on foundation pours, generator-powered lighting rigs, or well-point dewatering systems for a construction site need to plan around the curfew or keep their equipment at or under the 60 dBA cap to avoid a citation.
Violations & Fines
Violating the construction-hours curfew is a $250 civil penalty per Sec. 360.701(b), and each day the violation continues is a separate offense under Sec. 360.701(c), so a job site caught running loud equipment past 10:00 p.m. for a week can face $1,750 in citations. The Environmental Protection Board's Department staff issues the ticket directly under its minor-violation authority, supplementing the Board's full Chapter 360 enforcement powers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours is construction noise banned in Jacksonville?
What's the fine for construction noise after 10 p.m. in Jacksonville?
Can generators run overnight on a Jacksonville job site?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jacksonville
How Jacksonville compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Jacksonville to another location·View the Florida noise ordinances overview
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