Richland, WA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)

Richland Municipal Code Chapter 9.16, Public Nuisance Noise, makes it unlawful under § 9.16.045 for any person in possession or control of a noise source to create or continue a public disturbance noise. Subsection (C)(9) singles out construction: any sound from the construction, excavation, repair, demolition, destruction, or alteration of a building, property, or building site between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. that is audible more than 50 feet from a residential district is a prohibited public disturbance noise, regardless of the day of week.

The prohibition sits alongside the ordinance's other 9:00 p.m.-to-7:00 a.m. limits on power tools, saws, and lawn equipment audible from residential areas under § 9.16.045(C)(10), and the tighter overnight limits on amplified sound in the central business district. Section 9.16.050(C) exempts sounds from temporary construction sites during the daytime window of 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., so contractors are free to work those hours without a permit. Outside that window, a contractor or property owner can still work legally by obtaining a special noise permit under § 9.16.060: the application goes to the Development Services Department with the city's fee, must be filed at least 45 days before the work, is capped at two permits per location per calendar year, and the director weighs land-use compatibility, proximity to noise-sensitive uses, duration, scale, and the applicant's compliance history under § 9.16.065. A denied permit can be appealed in writing to the city clerk within 10 calendar days at no charge.