Salem, OR Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Salem, OR, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Curfew
- Construction barred 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Covers
- Buildings, streets, sidewalks, sewers, utility lines
- Applies to
- Both public and private projects
- Exemptions
- Emergency repair; City/county/state improvements
- Penalty
- Infraction; misdemeanor if repeated in 6 months
Summary
Salem bars construction, demolition, alteration, excavation, or repair of a building, street, sidewalk, driveway, sewer, or utility line between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. under SRC 93.020(d). The nighttime construction ban is enforced as a noise disturbance per se, so no decibel measurement is required to cite a contractor working past curfew.
(d)Construction or repair of buildings, streets, sidewalks, etc. It shall be unlawful to construct, demolish, alter, excavate, rehabilitate or repair any building, street, sidewalk, driveway, sewer, or utility line between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. of the following day.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 26 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
of the following day. The listed activities are broad, covering nearly every stage of a construction project from initial excavation through final repair, and the listed structures cover both private buildings and public infrastructure like streets, sidewalks, and utility lines, so a City-contracted street crew is bound by the same window as a private contractor. window. 030 provides a narrow escape valve: subsection (a) exempts work necessary to restore property to a safe condition after a disaster or to protect people or property from imminent danger, and subsection (e) exempts public-improvement work performed by the City, Marion County, Polk County, or the State and their contractors. 990(b).
Violations & Fines
Construction, demolition, excavation, or repair work covered by SRC 93.020(d) performed between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. is an infraction under SRC 93.990(a), unless it falls under a SRC 93.030 exemption such as emergency repair or City/county/state public-improvement work. A second violation of SRC 93.010 or 93.020 within six months of a prior conviction becomes a misdemeanor under SRC 93.990(b).
Frequently Asked Questions
What time can construction noise legally start in Salem?
Is there any exception to Salem's nighttime construction curfew?
Does the construction curfew apply to City road crews too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salem
How Salem compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Salem to another location·View the Oregon noise ordinances overview
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