Ridgecrest, CA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Ridgecrest, CA, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Citation
- § 14-52
- Quiet hours
- 8:00 p.m.–6:00 a.m.
- Applies to
- Street/right-of-way permit work
- Emergency exception
- Yes
Summary
Ridgecrest bars permit holders doing street or right-of-way work from running noise-producing tools or equipment between 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., protecting neighboring residents' sleep except in true emergencies.
The permittee shall, in view of local wind conditions, take continuous action using such measures as are necessary to prevent dust and sand from blowing onto neighboring properties or from endangering passing traffic. The permittee shall not, except in the case of an emergency, use any tool, equipment, or measures likely to produce noise of sufficient volume to disturb the sleep or repose or regular business of the occupants of adjoining properties between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 6).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 14-52 governs work performed under a Ridgecrest street encroachment permit: the permittee must control dust and sand blowing onto neighboring properties, and, except in an emergency, may not use any tool, equipment, or measure likely to produce noise loud enough to disturb the sleep, repose, or business of occupants of adjoining properties between 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. The restriction sits in Chapter 14, Article II, the same article that requires an encroachment permit for work in the public right-of-way.
Violations & Fines
Breaching the dust-and-noise conditions of an encroachment permit is a misdemeanor under City Code § 14-25 and can support permit revocation or removal orders.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time must construction noise stop in Ridgecrest?
Is there an exception?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ridgecrest
How Ridgecrest compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·California rules heatmap·Compare Ridgecrest to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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Construction Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Kern County handle construction hours.