Marin County, CA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Marin County, CA, 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 a.m.-6 p.m., Mon-Fri
- Saturday hours
- 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Sundays/holidays
- Construction prohibited entirely
- Heavy equipment
- 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon-Fri only
- Penalty
- Infraction, escalates to misdemeanor if order defied
- Enacted
- Ordinance 3431, 2005
Summary
Marin County Code § 6.70.030(5) limits construction work under building, plumbing, and electrical permits to 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, and bars it entirely on Sundays and eight named holidays. Loud equipment like backhoes, generators, and jackhammers is further restricted to 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays only.
(5)Construction Activities and Related Noise.a.Hours for construction activities and other work undertaken in connection with building, plumbing, electrical, and other permits issued by the community development agency shall be limited to the following:i.Monday through Friday: seven a.m. to six p.m.ii.Saturday: 9 am to 5 pmiii.Prohibited on Sundays and Holidays (New Year's Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.)b.Loud noise-generating construction-related equipment (e.g., backhoes, generators, jackhammers) can be maintained, operated, or serviced at a construction site for permits administered by the community development agency from eight a.m. to five p.m. Monday through Friday only.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 2026 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
, and is "prohibited on Sundays and Holidays," naming New Year's Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. , Monday through Friday, for permits administered by the Community Development Agency. 030 if the Community Development Director gets written notice within 48 hours of starting; construction projects run by a city, county, state, other public agency, or public utility; work with the Community Development Director's written permission "for showing of sufficient cause"; minor jobs such as painting, hand sanding, or sweeping with minimal noise impact; and modifications ordered by the review authority as a discretionary permit condition.
040: a violation is enforceable as an infraction, punishable by fines or by administrative or civil action, escalating to a misdemeanor (fines, jail, or both) if a person disobeys a peace or enforcement officer's order to stop the noise-generating activity, and the county's building and safety division can also issue a stop-work order.
Violations & Fines
Section 6.70.040 makes a first construction-hours violation an infraction, enforced by fines or administrative or civil action; refusing a peace or enforcement officer's order to stop the work escalates to a misdemeanor punishable by fines, jail time, or both. The building and safety division can independently issue a stop-work order to halt the project regardless of the citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the legal construction hours in unincorporated Marin?
Are generators and jackhammers allowed the same hours as regular construction?
Can I get an exception to the construction-hours rule?
What happens if I keep working after being told to stop?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Marin County
How Marin County compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·California rules heatmap·Compare Marin County to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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