Kane County, IL Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Kane County, IL, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Exempt construction window
- 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Outside window limit, day
- 65 dBA
- Outside window limit, night
- 55 dBA
- Oversight agency
- Kane County Development and Community Services Dept.
- Enforcement
- Kane County Sheriff's Office
- Maximum fine
- $500 per day
Summary
Construction noise in unincorporated Kane County is exempt from the general decibel caps only between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. under Code Sec. 15-2C5i. Outside that window, or if a site is unusually loud, the county's standard noise limits and mitigation authority kick back in.
Construction Sites: Construction noise that occurs between the hours of seven o'clock (7:00) A.M. and eight o'clock (8:00) P.M. shall be exempted. However, if in the opinion of the Kane County Development and Community Services Department, equipment or activities employed in the performance of construction exceeds the allowable decibel levels within this Code, the Kane County Development and Community Services Department may require noise mitigation methods to be implemented and used at the construction site to mitigate noises which exceed the requirements herein.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-17: Code current through: Ord. 26-183, passed 4-14-2026).
Full Breakdown
Kane County's baseline noise rule, Sec. , measured at the complaining neighbor's property line. Sec. , recognizing that framing, grading and similar work routinely exceeds residential decibel limits. The exemption is not unconditional: if, in the opinion of the Kane County Development and Community Services Department, the equipment or activity on a job site exceeds the allowable decibel levels elsewhere in the Code, that department can require the contractor to implement noise mitigation methods at the site, even during the exempt hours. loses the exemption entirely and is measured against the standard 65/55 dBA thresholds like any other noise source.
A violation, whether from off-hours work or from unmitigated excessive noise inside the window, is declared a public nuisance under Sec. 15-2C4c and can be cited as an ordinance violation by a Kane County Sheriff's deputy under Sec. 15-2C6. As with every Chapter 15 violation, Sec. 00, with each day of continued violation counted separately, and unresolved nuisances proceed to a formal complaint under Sec. 15-5 before the county's administrative adjudication hearing officer.
Violations & Fines
Running loud equipment before 7:00 a.m. or after 8:00 p.m. voids the construction exemption and exposes the contractor or property owner to a citation once sound on neighboring residential land tops 65 dBA daytime or 55 dBA nighttime. The Development and Community Services Department can also order mitigation for excessively loud daytime work. A Sheriff's deputy may cite the violation directly, and fines run up to $500.00 per day, each day a separate offense, under Sec. 15-6.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can construction crews make noise in unincorporated Kane County?
Can excessively loud construction still be stopped during the exempt hours?
What happens if a crew works past 8 p.m.?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kane County
How Kane County compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Kane County to another location·View the Illinois noise ordinances overview
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