Cobb County, GA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Cobb County, GA, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Permitted hours
- 7:00 a.m. to 8:59 p.m.
- Permitted days
- Monday through Saturday only
- Sunday construction
- Barred entirely, no exemption window
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Cobb County only
- Cities excluded
- Marietta, Smyrna, Kennesaw, Acworth, Powder Springs, Austell
- Enforcement
- Misdemeanor under § 1-10 general penalty
- Covered equipment
- Pile drivers, hammers, derricks, saws, drills
Summary
In unincorporated Cobb County, noisy construction work, excavation, demolition, alteration or repair of a structure, and equipment like pile drivers, pneumatic hammers, saws and drills, is a code violation unless it happens between 7:00 a.m. and 8:59 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Sunday work is barred entirely. The rule sits at Code of Ordinances § 50-258(8) and is enforced as a misdemeanor under the county's general penalty section, § 1-10.
The following acts are declared to be loud, disturbing and unnecessary noises in violation of this article; but this enumeration shall not be deemed to be exclusive: ... (8) Construction or repair of structures. The erection (including excavation), demolition, alteration or repair of any structure, as well as the operation of any pile driver, steam shovel, pneumatic hammer, derrick, steam or electric hoist, electric saws, drills or any other equipment attended by loud noise, other than between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:59 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 53).
Full Breakdown
Cobb County's noise ordinance singles out construction and repair work as an enumerated "loud, disturbing and unnecessary" noise whenever it happens outside the permitted window. Code of Ordinances § 50-258(8) covers "the erection (including excavation), demolition, alteration or repair of any structure, as well as the operation of any pile driver, steam shovel, pneumatic hammer, derrick, steam or electric hoist, electric saws, drills or any other equipment attended by loud noise." That work is exempt from the violation only "between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:59 p.m., Monday through Saturday," meaning any pile-driving, jackhammering, sawing or similar loud building work before 7 a.m., after 9 p.m., or at any hour on a Sunday is a violation, regardless of decibel level. This is a separate, stricter standard than the county's general 70/65 dBA daytime and nighttime noise limit in § 50-257(b): construction equipment loud enough to disturb neighbors is barred by time of day alone, with no decibel threshold to clear first.
The rule applies only in unincorporated Cobb County. Marietta, Smyrna, Kennesaw, Acworth, Powder Springs and Austell each enforce their own municipal noise codes with different construction hours, so a job site just inside a city limit is not covered by this section.
Enforcement runs through § 50-257(a), which makes any Article VII violation "unlawful and punishable as provided in section 1-10." Section 1-10 sets the penalty at a fine and imprisonment and/or probation "not to exceed the maximum punishment as set out by Georgia law under O.C.G.A. § 15-10-60," and treats a continuing violation as a nuisance abatable by injunctive relief. Limited exceptions in § 50-259 cover licensed businesses, county-funded or county-permitted projects, and school-sponsored activities on school grounds, but a private construction crew working past 8:59 p.m. or on a Sunday has no such carve-out.
Violations & Fines
A violation of the construction-hours rule is a misdemeanor under Cobb County Code § 1-10, punishable by a fine and imprisonment and/or probation up to the maximum allowed under O.C.G.A. § 15-10-60. The imposition of one penalty does not excuse a continuing violation: each ten-day period the noisy work continues can count as a separate offense, and the county may also seek injunctive relief to stop equipment running past 8:59 p.m. or operating on a Sunday, on top of any fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Cobb County's legal construction hours?
Does the rule apply inside Marietta or Smyrna?
Is Sunday construction ever allowed?
What happens if a contractor keeps working past 9 p.m.?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cobb County
How Cobb County compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Cobb County to another location·View the Georgia noise ordinances overview
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