Plano, TX Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Plano, TX, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Daytime window
- 7:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.
- Nighttime ban
- 10:01 p.m.–6:59 a.m. within 500 ft of homes
- Daytime dB cap for defense
- 85 dBA
- Nighttime exception
- written city/state/emergency approval
- Penalty
- up to $500 per offense (Sec. 1-4(b))
- Adopted
- Ordinance No. 2025-8-3
Summary
Plano bars nighttime construction, 10:01 p.m. to 6:59 a.m., within 500 feet of a residential area or use, and protects daytime construction and landscaping noise only when it runs 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and stays at or under 85 dBA. Code of Ordinances Sec. 14-86(c) and Sec. 14-89(a)(3) set the window; written city, state or emergency approval can extend it.
(c)It shall be an offense for a person to intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly conduct construction on private property within five hundred (500) feet of a residential area or a residential use during nighttime hours (10:01 p.m. to 6:59 a.m.)...(3)The noise or vibration is produced by reasonably necessary construction or landscaping and lawn care-related activities on real or personal property, conducted at any point from 7:00 a.m. through 10:00 p.m., and the activity is in compliance with all other State and Federal laws and the City of Plano Code of Ordinances, and the noise does not directly or indirectly result in a specific noise level exceeding 85 dBA...(9)The noise or vibration is produced by construction-related activity outside of the designated hours set forth in this article, and said activity has received written approval from the city, has been approved by a state or federal authority, or is reasonably necessary due to an emergency.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 153).
Full Breakdown
The noise article adopted by Ordinance No. 2025-8-3 makes nighttime construction near homes an offense outright: Sec. window, construction and landscaping noise isn't automatically legal either, it only qualifies as an affirmative defense under Sec. ' The article does allow exceptions to the nighttime ban: Sec. 14-89(a)(9) protects nighttime construction noise that 'has received written approval from the city, has been approved by a state or federal authority, or is reasonably necessary due to an emergency,' and Sec. ' 'Night or nighttime' is defined in Sec. , so the ordinance's hours language is fixed and doesn't vary by season or zoning district.
Violations & Fines
Building without city, state or emergency approval during the 10:01 p.m.-to-6:59 a.m. window within 500 feet of a home is an offense under Sec. 14-86(c), and daytime construction that tops 85 dBA loses its Sec. 14-89(a)(3) defense entirely. Either violation is punished under the Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-4(b), a fine up to $500 per offense, with each day treated as a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can construction crews work in Plano?
Can a contractor ever work at night in Plano?
Is there a decibel limit on daytime construction noise?
What's the penalty for illegal nighttime construction in Plano?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Plano
How Plano compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Texas rules heatmap·Compare Plano to another location·View the Texas noise ordinances overview
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Construction Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Collin County handle construction hours.