Thurston County, WA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Thurston County, WA, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Exempt hours
- 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Governing chapter
- TCC Ch. 10.36
- Outside window
- General noise limits apply
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor (10.36.050)
Summary
Thurston County exempts construction-site noise from its public disturbance noise limits only between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.; outside that window construction sounds lose the exemption.
The following sounds are exempt from the provisions of this chapter:
A. Sounds created by fire alarms;
B. Sounds created by emergency equipment and emergency work necessary in the interests of law enforcement or of the health, safety or welfare of the community;
C. Sounds created by off-highway vehicles while being used in officially designated off-road vehicle parks;
D. Sounds created by warning devices not operated continuously for more than thirty minutes per incident;
E. Sounds created by yard maintenance equipment utilized for yard maintenance purposes between the hours of seven a.m. and ten p.m.;
F. Sounds created by uses or activities for which required federal, state and/or local governmental approval has been obtained;
G. Sounds originating from residential property relating to temporary projects for the maintenance or repair of homes, grounds and appurtenances between the hours of seven a.m. and ten p.m.;
H. Sounds originating from temporary construction sites as a result of construction activities between the hours of seven a.m. and ten p.m.;
I. Sounds created by the use of a generator during power outages;
J. Sounds from customary agricultural activities;
K. Sounds created by the installation or repair of essential utility services;
L. Sounds from the combined activities of starting, servicing, idling, revving or testing motorized vehicles unrelated to use of the vehicle for the purpose of ingress and
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 77).
Full Breakdown
Under the county's public disturbance noise chapter, temporary construction-site sounds are exempt from the noise rules only when they occur between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. That exemption is one of a list including yard maintenance and home repair noise, all tied to the same 7 a.m.-to-10 p.m. window. Run equipment outside those hours and the general nighttime sound limits in Section 10.36.030 (45 dBA between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.) apply instead, with no construction carve-out.
Violations & Fines
Loses its noise exemption outside 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; violations of the underlying noise limits are a misdemeanor under 10.36.050.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can construction noise happen at any hour in Thurston County?
What happens if a contractor runs equipment at 11 p.m.?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Thurston County
How Thurston County compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Thurston County to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
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