Pocatello, ID Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Pocatello, ID, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Barred hours
- 10:00 P.M. to 6:00 A.M.
- Covered work
- Building/repair construction, excavation, grading
- Exception
- Urgent necessity with building official permission
- Related limit
- Lawn/power equipment barred 10 P.M.-7 A.M. residential
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
Summary
In the City of Pocatello, building or repair work, including site excavation and grading, cannot run between 10:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M. under the disturbing-the-peace ordinance. The building official can permit an exception only for urgent public health and safety necessity.
It is unlawful for any person to: ... C. Engage in construction/repair of buildings, including site excavation and grading, between the hours of ten o'clock (10:00) P.M. and six o'clock (6:00) A.M., except in case of urgent necessity in the interest of public health and safety and with the permission of the building official;
Full Breakdown
Pocatello City Code § 9.16.100(C) makes it unlawful for any person to engage in construction or repair of buildings, including site excavation and grading, between the hours of 10:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M., except in case of urgent necessity in the interest of public health and safety and with the permission of the building official. The same section's subsection D separately bars chain saws, other woodcutting equipment, and gasoline or electric powered lawn care equipment between 10:00 P.M. and 7:00 A.M. in any residential area regardless of the underlying zoning district.
Section 9.16.105 lists narrow exceptions to the disturbing-the-peace hour limits: emergency work, a governmental agency acting within its functions, utility company work performed within the hours permitted for construction, and other work authorized by the building official, public works director, or the mayor. Enforcement runs through the Pocatello Police Department and Planning and Development Services' code enforcement staff, who respond to complaints of after-hours construction noise. Because § 9.16.100 sets no unique fine, a violation is prosecuted as a misdemeanor under the citywide penalty clause, § 1.04.040, with each day of continuing after-hours work chargeable as a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Running construction or excavation work outside the 10:00 P.M. to 6:00 A.M. window without a building-official exception is a misdemeanor under Pocatello City Code § 1.04.040, punishable by a fine up to $1,000.00, up to six months in jail, or both; each additional day of the violation is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours is construction noise banned in Pocatello?
Can a contractor get permission to work at night in Pocatello?
Are there separate limits on lawn equipment noise at night in Pocatello?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pocatello
How Pocatello compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Pocatello to another location·View the Idaho noise ordinances overview
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