Charleston County, SC Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Charleston County, SC, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Exempt only
- Daytime hours (Sec. 3-44(7))
- Outside daytime
- Full noise prohibitions apply
- Controlling standard
- Whichever of local/state/federal/permit strictest
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 30 days jail
- Separate from
- Building/demolition permit process (Sec. 4-20)
Summary
Unincorporated Charleston County only exempts construction, demolition and mineral-extraction noise from its noise ordinance when the work happens during daytime hours. Sec. 3-44(7) ties that exemption to whichever local, state, federal or permit standard is more restrictive, so nighttime construction noise loses its cover entirely.
(7)Noise generated by any construction, demolition equipment, or mineral extraction (including crushing, screening, or segregating) operated during daytime hours as per local, state, or federal law or regulation, or as otherwise provided for by permit or variance, whichever is more restrictive.(8)Emergency maintenance, construction, or repair work.(9)Noise created by any government-sponsored events or privately organized sports, recreation, or athletic events.(10)Emergency or extraordinary situations.(11)A business may use an outside sound system to notify patrons waiting to pick up an order, obtain a table, or to be able to participate in the activities of the business, provided that such sound does not create an excessive, unnecessary or unreasonable noise.(12)Noise from any idling vehicles at a commercial establishment in the process of loading or unloading merchandise for the establishment or waiting for the opportunity to do the same.(13)Permitted public performances, gatherings, or parades. (Ord. No. 2231, § II(Exh. A), 9-20-22; Ord. No. 2232, § II(Exh. A), 9-20-22)
Editor's note— Ord. No 2231, § II(Exh. A), adopted Sep., 20, 2022, renumbered the former §§ 3-44, 3-45 as §§ 3-45, 3-46 respectively and enacted a new § 3-44 as set out herein. The historical notation has been retained with the amended provisions for reference purposes.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 21).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 3-44 of the Charleston County Code lists thirteen categories exempt from the noise prohibitions in Secs. ' The clause does two things at once. First, it limits the exemption to daytime hours, so a contractor running equipment after dark gets no exemption and instead falls under the general Sec. , and could also trip the 70 dBA/500-foot daytime standard in Sec. 3-43(b) if the site sits close enough to a residential parcel. Second, it layers state and federal noise standards, and any site-specific permit or variance condition, on top of the county rule and applies whichever limit is tightest, so a construction or demolition permit setting a narrower noise window controls over the general daytime allowance.
The county's building permit process (Sec. 4-20) is separate from this noise rule: getting a building or demolition permit does not itself authorize noise outside the hours this section allows. Sec. 3-45 sets the penalty for any violation of the noise article, including this one.
Violations & Fines
Running construction or demolition equipment outside daytime hours, or in violation of a more restrictive permit condition, is a misdemeanor under Sec. 3-45, punishable by up to a $500 fine, up to 30 days in jail, or both. Charleston County Code Enforcement investigates complaints against the contractor or site owner, and a neighbor can pursue a separate nuisance action under Sec. 3-46.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a contractor run equipment at night in unincorporated Charleston County?
Does a building permit set the allowed construction hours?
What if a construction site is louder than 70 dBA during the day?
What's the penalty for a nighttime construction noise complaint?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Charleston County
How Charleston County compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Charleston County to another location·View the South Carolina noise ordinances overview
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