Paterson, NJ Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Paterson, NJ, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Equipment requirement
- muffler/sound reduction device
- Applies to
- all motorized construction gear
- Emergency work
- exempt
- Enforcement
- Noise Control Officers/Police
Summary
Paterson's noise code requires every motorized machine used for construction or demolition to run with a muffler or sound-reduction device, on top of the decibel limits and restricted hours set for the activity in Chapter 337.
All motorized equipment used in construction and demolition activity shall be operated with a muffler and/or sound reduction device.
D. Motorized snow removal equipment shall be operated with a muffler and/or a sound reduction device when being used for snow removal. At all other times, the limits set forth in Tables I, II or III do not apply.
E. All interior and exterior burglar alarms of a building or motor vehicle must be activated in such a manner that the burglar alarm terminates its operation within five minutes for continuous airborne sound and 15 minutes for intermittent sound after it has been activated. At all other times, the limits set forth in Tables I, II or III do not apply.
F. Self-contained, portable, nonvehicular music or sound production devices shall not be operated on a public space or public right-of-way in such a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of 50 feet in any direction from the operator between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., sound, operated on a public space or public right-of-way, from such equipment shall not be plainly audible at a distance of 25 feet in any direction from the operator.
G. Animal noise.
(1)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4713536; v19 updated 2025-12-16; through 12-16-2025).
Full Breakdown
Section 337-10C doesn't just restrict when construction can happen: it also sets an equipment standard: all motorized equipment used in construction and demolition activity must be operated with a muffler or sound reduction device, and that mandate applies regardless of time of day. During the permitted work window, construction noise is otherwise measured against the sound-level ceilings in Tables I, II and III like any other source; construction and demolition is exempt from those tables only as carved out at § 337-5C. Noise Control Officers and Investigators, including the Paterson Police Department, enforce the equipment requirement.
Violations & Fines
Minimum $500 penalty per offense, up to $2,000 under N.J.S.A. 40:49-5; unmuffled equipment can be cited for each day of continued use (§ 337-12).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does construction equipment need a muffler in Paterson?
Is construction noise ever exempt from the decibel tables?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Paterson
How Paterson compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Paterson to another location·View the New Jersey noise ordinances overview
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