Pasadena, CA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Pasadena, 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
- 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday
- Saturday hours
- 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Sunday/holiday work
- Prohibited, with narrow owner/petition exceptions
- Equipment noise cap
- 85 dBA measured within 100 feet
- Residential buffer
- Applies within 500 feet of residential district
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor under Section 9.36.190
Summary
Pasadena bars powered construction equipment near residential districts outside 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays under Municipal Code Section 9.36.070, with work barred entirely on Sundays and holidays. A separate 85 dBA cap applies to construction equipment noise measured 100 feet away.
No person shall operate any pile driver, power shovel, pneumatic hammer, derrick power hoist, forklift, cement mixer or any other similar construction equipment within a residential district or within a radius of 500 feet therefrom at any time other than as listed below:1.From 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday;2.From 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday;3.Operation of any of the listed construction equipment is prohibited on Sundays and holidays.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 79 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
m. on Saturday; operation is prohibited outright on Sundays and on the eleven listed holidays, including New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, the day after, and Christmas. A parallel restriction in subsection B applies the same hours to any construction or repair work performed in a manner that causes discomfort or annoyance to a reasonable person residing nearby, even without listed equipment. Two narrow exceptions exist: an owner or lessor doing the work personally with no more than two helpers may work Sundays, and a contractor may work Sundays or holidays after filing a petition with the building official showing consent from 65 percent of households within 500 feet and unanimous consent from adjacent households, accompanied by a council-set fee.
030's definition is exempt from the hour restrictions entirely. 080 caps the noise emitted by any powered construction equipment at 85 dBA measured within a 100-foot radius, regardless of time of day. 180.
Violations & Fines
Operating covered equipment outside the permitted weekday and Saturday windows, or at all on Sundays and the eleven listed holidays, is a misdemeanor under Section 9.36.190. Exceeding the separate 85 dBA equipment limit measured 100 feet away is an independent violation. The environmental health division investigates complaints and may cite the contractor or property owner responsible for the work.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time can construction start in Pasadena?
Can a homeowner get an exception to work on Sunday?
Is there a decibel limit for construction equipment too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasadena
How Pasadena compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·California rules heatmap·Compare Pasadena to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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Construction Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle construction hours.