Montgomery, AL Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Montgomery, AL, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Protected construction hours
- 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Outside those hours
- No noise exemption applies
- Applies to
- Residential, commercial, industrial, public premises
- Penalty for after-hours noise
- Up to $500.00 per day
- Governing division
- Chapter 18, Noise, Sec. 18-171 et seq.
Summary
Montgomery's noise ordinance protects construction activity and construction equipment operated between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. as a permitted act, meaning daytime work inside that window cannot be cited as a noise nuisance. Sec. 18-173(4) sits in the same division that otherwise bans raucous or disturbing sound citywide around the clock.
Nothing in this division shall be construed to prohibit: ...(4)Construction activity conducted or construction equipment operated upon residential, commercial, industrial or public premises during the time period between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 27).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 18's noise division opens with a general nuisance ban in Sec. 18-171 and Sec. 18-175 against loud, raucous, or disturbing sound. Sec. m. window cannot be prosecuted as a nuisance under Sec. loses that protection and can be cited like any other unpermitted noise under the general penalty in Sec. 18-172. The other three permitted acts in Sec. 18-173 cover bells or chimes rung by religious organizations, noise from police, fire, rescue, or emergency personnel, and live remote broadcasts by licensed radio stations on business or public premises.
Sec. 18-174's permit process, which requires a noise permit application filed with the special events department at least 15 business days before the activity, exists for one-time or event noise; it does not apply to the recurring daytime construction window already exempted by Sec. 18-173(4).
Violations & Fines
Construction noise outside the 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. window loses its exemption under Sec. 18-173(4) and can be cited as a nuisance under Sec. 18-175, carrying the division's general penalty in Sec. 18-172: a fine up to $500.00, with each day the after-hours work continues charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Montgomery contractor run heavy equipment before 7 a.m.?
Does the 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. construction window apply on residential and commercial sites alike?
What happens if a construction crew works past 7 p.m. in Montgomery?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Montgomery
How Montgomery compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Montgomery to another location·View the Alabama noise ordinances overview
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