Reading, PA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)

Section 387-104(C) of Reading's noise ordinance specifically prohibits 'operating or permitting the operation of any tools or equipment used in construction operations, drilling or demolition work' between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the following day on weekdays and Saturdays, 'or at any time on Sundays or legal holidays,' when the sound creates a noise disturbance across a residential real property line. 'Construction operation' is defined in § 387-102 as the erection, repair, renovation, demolition, or removal of any building or structure, plus excavation, filling, grading, and lot regulation in connection therewith. Domestic power tools — saws, drills, sanders, grinders, lawn and garden tools, snowblowers — are governed separately under § 387-104(D) but follow the same 10 p.m.–7 a.m. nighttime restriction for residential areas. 'Emergency work' (defined in § 387-102 as work to prevent or alleviate physical trauma or property damage) is exempt under § 387-104(C)(1), and blasting under proper permit may occur only between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday-Friday per § 387-107(B). Reading does not exempt licensed contractors during off-hours; the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (34 Pa. Code Ch. 401) governs permit requirements but does not preempt local time-of-day limits.