Memphis, TN Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Memphis, TN, 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 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
- Saturday hours
- 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
- Sunday work
- Prohibited without emergency permit
- Emergency permit issuer
- Chief building inspector
- Permit duration cap
- 30 days maximum
- Fine
- Up to $50 per violation, per day
- Governing section
- Memphis Code § 9-68-6
Summary
Memphis Code § 9-68-6 prohibits building erection, demolition, alteration, repair, and street or highway excavation in residential districts outside fixed hours: 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and never on Sundays. Off-hours work requires a chief building inspector emergency permit capped at 30 days.
The erection (including excavation), demolition, alteration or repair of any building or the excavation of streets and highways in any residential district or section, other than between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays is prohibited, except in case of urgent necessity in the interest of public health and safety, and then only with a permit from the chief building inspector, which permit may be granted for a period not to exceed 30 days while the emergency continues, if the chief building inspector determines that the public health and safety will not be impaired thereby and that loss or inconvenience will result to a party in interest if such permit is not granted.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 32 | Charter: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
on Saturdays. Outside those windows, including all day Sunday, erection, excavation, demolition, alteration or repair of a building, or excavation of streets and highways, is flatly prohibited unless the contractor first secures a permit from the chief building inspector. That permit issues only for 'urgent necessity in the interest of public health and safety,' runs for a maximum of 30 days while the emergency continues, and requires the inspector to find both that public health and safety will not be impaired and that the property owner would otherwise suffer loss or inconvenience.
The current hours were set by Ord. No. 5660, § 1, adopted October 3, 2017, amending the earlier Code 1967 § 24-6 / Code 1985 § 22-6 version. Section 9-68-6 sits inside the broader noise chapter alongside § 9-68-1's round-the-clock ban on any 'unreasonably loud, disturbing and unnecessary noise,' so a contractor working within the permitted hours can still be cited under § 9-68-1 if the noise itself is excessive for the job. Neighbors or code enforcement can report violations through the city's code enforcement channels; the chief building inspector's office administers the emergency permit.
Violations & Fines
Violating § 9-68-6 is a misdemeanor under the Code's general penalty section, § 1-24-1(A): a fine of up to $50.00 per separate violation, since Chapter 9-68 is not among the chapters (9-72, 9-80, 9-92, 9-100) carrying the Code's enhanced $200.00 minimum penalty. Each day construction continues outside the permitted hours without a valid emergency permit is treated as a separate offense, so fines compound day over day, and city judges set the exact fine within that $50 cap at their discretion.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the legal construction hours in Memphis?
Can a contractor work early mornings or nights in Memphis?
What happens if a contractor breaks the construction-hours rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Memphis
How Memphis compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Memphis to another location·View the Tennessee noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.