San Bernardino, CA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in San Bernardino, CA, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Allowed construction hours
- 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Applies
- Citywide, all zones
- Heavy-equipment curfew
- Barred 10 p.m.-8 a.m., § 8.54.020(L)
- Exemptions
- Emergency repair, city-agreement work
- Governing section
- SBMC § 8.54.070
- Enforcing penalty section
- § 8.54.080
Summary
Construction, demolition, and repair work in San Bernardino is confined to 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. under the Noise Control chapter's disturbance rule. Work outside that window, absent a city-approved exception, is a code violation regardless of zone.
No person shall be engaged or employed or cause any other person to be engaged or employed in any work of construction, erection, alteration, repair, addition, movement, demolition or improvement to any building or structure except within the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-2: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. MC-1666, passed 8-5-2026).
Full Breakdown
" This single citywide window applies regardless of whether the site sits in a residential or commercial zone, unlike the chapter's separate Controlled Hours of Operation rule, which splits residential and non-residential zones. citywide unless the city approves the work in advance. window. 090 confirms the chapter is severable, so a successful challenge to one part of the noise rules would not void the construction-hours restriction itself.
Violations & Fines
Building or demolition work outside the 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. window is punishable under § 8.54.080 as an infraction or misdemeanor per § 1.12.010, with fines of $100, $200, and $500 for successive infractions within a year, and a fourth violation charged as a misdemeanor carrying up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time can construction crews start work in San Bernardino?
Does the construction hours rule differ between residential and commercial zones?
Is emergency repair work exempt from the construction noise hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Bernardino
How San Bernardino compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·California rules heatmap·Compare San Bernardino to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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Construction Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle construction hours.