Construction hours in Kern County, CA — sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances — set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Section 8.36.020 prohibits construction noise between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. weekdays and 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. weekends when audible at 150 feet from the site, if the site is within 1,000 feet of an occupied residential dwelling. Emergency work is exempt.
Under Kern County Code § 8.36.020, it is unlawful to create noise from construction between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. on weekdays and between 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. on weekends if the construction site is within 1,000 feet of an occupied residential dwelling and the construction noise is audible to a person with average hearing faculties or capacity at a distance of 150 feet from the site. The Director of the Planning and Development Services Agency (formerly Development Services Agency) or a designated representative may, for good cause, grant a limited-time exemption for specific construction work. Emergency work — for example, repairs needed to protect health, safety, or property — is exempt from this section by its own terms. Daytime construction (6 a.m. weekdays / 8 a.m. weekends through 9 p.m.) is unrestricted by Chapter 8.36, though it remains subject to the general 'loud and raucous' standard if it disturbs neighborhood enjoyment.
A violation is enforced as a county-code offense under Title 1, prosecutable as an infraction or misdemeanor. Officers cite under § 1.12.010 using state Penal Code citation procedures. Each day a violation continues can be charged as a separate offense.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Kern County, CA
Kern County Title 19 limits truck parking at a residence to one truck under 5 tons used for employment or an approved home occupation, and bans any commercia...
Kern County, CA
Kern County does not impose a blanket overnight parking ban on unincorporated streets, but any vehicle left in place for 72 consecutive hours can be declared...
Kern County, CA
Kern County, CA
Kern County prohibits parking a vehicle on any state highway in the unincorporated county for 72 or more consecutive hours, adopted under California Vehicle ...
Kern County, CA
Kern County regulates swimming pool barriers under Chapter 13.12 (Swimming Pools and Other Bodies of Water — Barriers and Warning Signs), supplementing the C...
Kern County, CA
Per the California Building Code as adopted in Kern County Title 17, fences not over 7 feet high are exempt from building permits. Fences exceeding 7 feet, m...
See how Kern County's construction hours rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.