Olathe, KS Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Olathe, KS, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Sound limit
- 65 dBA at property line
- Applies
- Outside 11 p.m.–7 a.m. curfew
- Exempt
- Mobile hand/power tools on-site
- Also exempt
- Domestic power tools, § (P)
- Max penalty
- $500 fine or 180 days jail
Summary
Olathe caps construction, drilling, and demolition equipment at 65 dBA measured at the property line during allowed hours, but exempts mobile hand power tools used temporarily at a field site.
(2) At any other time such that the sound level at or across a real property boundary exceeds 65 dba. This subsection shall not apply to construction hand tools (to include power tools) that are mobile in nature and are being used at a field construction site for temporary construction purposes. (3) This section shall not apply to the use of domestic power tools subject to Section 6.18.040(P).
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 26-39, passed July 21, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Olathe Municipal Code § 6.18.040(F)(2) sets a 65 dBA sound-level ceiling for construction, drilling, and demolition equipment measured at or across a residential property boundary, applying whenever the equipment runs outside the overnight curfew. The section carves out an exception for construction hand tools, including power tools, that are mobile and used temporarily at a field construction site, meaning the dBA cap targets fixed, heavier equipment like generators, compressors, and demolition machinery rather than a worker's drill or circular saw. A separate exemption in § 6.18.040(F)(3) covers domestic power tools regulated under § 6.18.040(P).
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the dBA cap is an unclassified public offense under § 6.18.090(D), fined up to $500, jailed up to 180 days, or both, with each day treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a decibel limit for construction equipment in Olathe?
Do hand power tools count toward the construction noise limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Olathe
How Olathe compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Olathe to another location·View the Kansas noise ordinances overview
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Construction Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Johnson County handle construction hours.