Littleton, CO Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Littleton, CO, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Weekday hours
- 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM
- Weekend/holiday hours
- 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Exemption path
- Written approval from Public Works
- Volume limit
- Industrial-district level under 7-3-6
- Effective date
- 8/29/2024 (Ord. 20, 2024)
Summary
Littleton limits noise-generating construction equipment to 7 AM to 7 PM on weekdays and 9 AM to 5 PM on weekends and official holidays. City Code Section 7-3-5(J) requires a written exemption from Public Works to run outside those windows.
J. Construction Activities: Noise-generating equipment associated with construction activities may be operated solely between the hours of seven o'clock in the morning (7:00 A.M.) and seven o'clock in the evening (7:00 P.M.) weekdays and nine o'clock in the morning (9:00 A.M.) and five o'clock in the evening (5:00 P.M.) weekends and official holidays unless written exemption is provided by the Public Works Department. Construction projects shall be subject to the maximum permissible noise level specified for industrial districts for the period within which construction is to be completed pursuant to any applicable building permit.
Full Breakdown
Section 7-3-5(J), Construction Activities, permits noise-generating equipment associated with construction to operate solely between 7:00 A.M. and 7:00 P.M. on weekdays, and between 9:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. on weekends and official holidays, unless a written exemption is provided by the Public Works Department. Construction projects also remain subject to the maximum permissible noise level set for industrial districts under Section 7-3-6 for the duration authorized by the applicable building permit, so a site cannot simply run within the hour window at unlimited volume. The hour restriction dates to Ordinance 36, Series of 1999, carried forward through the section's most recent amendment, Ordinance 20, Series of 2024, effective August 29, 2024. Section 7-3-13 lets the City Manager waive the 7-3-5 work-hour restrictions, including the construction window, for public improvement or utility work when weighed factors such as an emergency, continuous utility service needs, or the degree of noise favor granting relief over strict enforcement.
Violations & Fines
A contractor running noise-generating equipment outside the permitted window is enforced under Section 7-3-11, which allows a correction notice of up to five days or an immediate summons for a stationary-source violation. Chapter 7-3 sets no separate fine, so the general penalty in Section 1-4-1 applies, up to $2,650 or up to 364 days in jail, with each day of continued violation charged separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Littleton's legal construction hours?
Can a contractor get permission to work earlier or later?
Is there a decibel limit for construction sites during allowed hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Littleton
How Littleton compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Littleton to another location·View the Colorado noise ordinances overview
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Construction Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Arapahoe County handle construction hours.