Kenosha, WI Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Kenosha, WI, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Exempt construction hours
- 7 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday-Saturday
- Not exempt
- Nights (10 p.m.-7 a.m.) and Sundays
- Extended-project shielding rule
- required after 10 days in residential districts
- Governing section
- City Code § 23.09.A
- Enforcing agencies
- Health Dept. and Police Dept.
Summary
Kenosha exempts construction sites, public utilities and public works projects from the Table 1 decibel limits only during daytime hours, 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday under City Code § 23.09.A. Outside that window, and on Sundays, construction noise falls back under the standard zoning decibel limits.
Daytime means the hours from 7:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. ... A.Construction Sites, Public Utilities, Public Works. The daytime criteria as set forth in Section 23.06 shall not apply to construction sites, public utilities and public works projects and operations during the daytime hours from Monday through Saturday, inclusive; provided, however, that noise production shall be minimized through proper equipment operation and maintenance. Stationary equipment on construction projects lasting more than ten (10) days within residential districts shall be shielded or located so as not to cause unnecessary noise.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 11 Update 1 | Zoning Ordinance: Supplement 9).
Full Breakdown
06 do not apply to construction sites, public utilities and public works projects and operations during daytime hours Monday through Saturday, inclusive. , so a construction crew working within that six-day daytime window is not held to Table 1's numeric decibel caps, though the section still requires that noise production be minimized through proper equipment operation and maintenance. The exemption is not unconditional: stationary equipment on a construction project running more than ten days within a residential district must be shielded or located so it does not cause unnecessary noise, a separate obligation layered on top of the general exemption. 05 prohibition on creating a noise disturbance across a property boundary. 17.
Violations & Fines
Running stationary construction equipment outside the Monday-through-Saturday daytime window, or failing to shield equipment on a project lasting more than ten days in a residential district, exposes the operator to the same noise-disturbance enforcement as any other violation of Chapter XXIII: forfeiture under the general penalty adopted by reference in Section 23.19, plus potential nuisance-abatement action under Section 23.04 and injunctive relief under Section 23.18.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can construction crews make noise in Kenosha?
Is construction noise allowed on Sundays in Kenosha?
Does a long-running construction project face extra noise rules?
What happens after 10 p.m. on a construction site in Kenosha?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kenosha
How Kenosha compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Kenosha to another location·View the Wisconsin noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.