San Clemente, CA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in San Clemente, CA, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Monday through Friday
- 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Saturday
- 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Sunday and City-recognized holidays
- Item E allows no hours at any time
- Grading
- Must also comply with Section 15.36.190 on time of grading
- Urgent-necessity permit (item F)
- Not to exceed three days while the emergency continues
- Residential exterior limit
- 55 dB(A) from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; 50 dB(A) overnight
- Appeal of an exception decision
- Within 15 days to the City Council
Summary
San Clemente's noise chapter exempts construction noise from its limits when the work stays inside set hours: 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and at no time on a Sunday or a City-recognized holiday. Grading must also meet Section 15.36.190. Outside those hours, item E of Section 8.48.090 gives the work no exemption from Chapter 8.48.
8.48.090 - Exemptions from Chapter. The following activities shall be exempted from the provisions of this chapter: ... E. Noise sources associated with construction activity, provided said activities take place only between the hours of 7:00 am. and 6:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:00 am. and 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and at no time on a Sunday or a City-recognized holiday, and provided all grading activities also comply with Section 15.36.190 of the City's Municipal Code regarding time of grading operations. F. Noise sources associated with construction activity for which a permit has been granted by the City based upon: 1. A case of urgent necessity in the interest of public health and safety. Such permit may be granted for a period not to exceed three days while the emergency continues; or, 2. A determination by the City that the public health and safety will not be impaired and that no loss or inconvenience would result to any party in interest.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Traffic: Supplement 30 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 66 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Section 8.48.090 is the exemption list for San Clemente's noise chapter, Chapter 8.48. It opens by stating that the listed activities "shall be exempted from the provisions of this chapter," and item E covers noise sources associated with construction activity. The exemption comes with conditions. The work must take place only between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and at no time on a Sunday or a City-recognized holiday. All grading activities must also comply with Section 15.36.190 of the Municipal Code, which governs the time of grading operations. Item E does not name the holidays; it refers to them as City-recognized. The exemption is earned by staying inside the hours; it is not a license to make noise at any hour. The section's history note lists Ord. No. 1717 (10-19-2021) and Ord. No. 1785 (12-10-2024) after the original Ord. 1450 of 2007.
Section 8.48.020 defines construction activity broadly: any construction or demolition activity, including repair, alteration, remodeling, excavation, filling or grading of any real property, building, street or highway. The definition also counts the arrival and departure of personnel at the construction site, the delivery to and collection from the site of equipment and materials, and the running of any construction equipment. Read with item E, a crew running equipment before 7:00 a.m. on a weekday, or a materials delivery arriving after 6:00 p.m., sits outside the item E window.
Outside the item E hours, item E no longer exempts the noise from the chapter. Section 8.48.040 makes it unlawful to willfully or negligently make or continue any loud, unnecessary, or unusual noise that disturbs the peace and quiet of a neighborhood, and weighs factors such as the proximity of the noise to residential sleeping facilities, the time of day or night, and the duration. Section 8.48.050 sets exterior limits measured on the affected property: 55 dB(A) from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and 50 dB(A) from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. for residential receivers, 65 and 60 dB(A) for commercial, and 70 dB(A) for industrial or manufacturing. Section 8.48.060 sets interior limits inside a dwelling unit of 50 dB(A) by day and 40 dB(A) overnight.
Violations & Fines
Noise created in a manner prohibited by or not in conformity with Chapter 8.48 is declared a public nuisance and is punishable as such under Section 8.48.010(B). Construction that runs outside the item E hours loses the exemption, which leaves it subject to the general noise rule in Section 8.48.040 and the numeric limits in Sections 8.48.050 and 8.48.060. An applicant for an exception remains subject to prosecution until the exception is granted, and any violation of an exception's terms is unlawful and grounds for revocation under Section 8.48.120.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can construction run in San Clemente?
What noise limits apply to construction outside those hours?
Can the City permit emergency construction noise?
Are yard maintenance hours the same as construction hours?
How do I get an exception for noise that exceeds the chapter?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Clemente
California rules heatmap·Compare San Clemente to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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