Santa Clara County, CA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Santa Clara County, 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 hours
- 7am-7pm weekdays/Saturday
- Sundays/holidays
- No construction noise
- Exception
- Variance under § B11-157
- Mobile equipment cap
- 75-85 dBA daytime
Summary
Unincorporated Santa Clara County bars construction and demolition noise before 7 a.m. and after 7 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, and all day Sunday and holidays, absent a variance.
Operating or causing the operation of any tools or equipment used in construction, drilling, repair, alteration or demolition work between weekdays and Saturday hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., or at any time on Sundays or holidays, that the sound therefrom creates a noise disturbance across a residential or commercial real property line, except for emergency work of public service utilities or by variance. This section will not apply to the use of domestic power tools as specified in Subsection 11.b.Where technically and economically feasible, construction activities will be conducted in a manner that the maximum noise levels at affected properties will not exceed those listed in the following schedule: _____
i.Mobile equipment. Maximum noise levels for nonscheduled, intermittent, short-term operation (less than ten days) of mobile equipment: Single- and Two-Family Dwelling Residential Area Multifamily Dwelling Residential Area Commercial Area Daily, except Sundays and legal holidays 7:00 a.m.—7:00 p.m. 75 dBA 80 dBA 85 dBA Daily, 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. and all day Sunday and legal holidays 50 dBA 55 dBA 60 dBA
ii.Stationary equipment. Maximum noise levels for repetitively scheduled and relatively long-term operation (periods of ten days or more) of stationary equipment are as follows: Single- and Two-Family Dwelling Residential Area Multifamily Dwelling Residential Area Commercial Area
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).
Full Breakdown
Ordinance Code § B11-154(6) prohibits operating construction, drilling, repair, alteration or demolition tools in unincorporated Santa Clara County outside 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, and bars the noise entirely on Sundays and holidays, whenever it crosses a residential or commercial property line. Emergency public-utility work is exempt, and contractors may apply for a variance permit under § B11-157. Where feasible, short-term mobile equipment is also capped at 75-85 dBA in the day and 50-60 dBA at night depending on the area, while longer-running stationary equipment is capped lower, at 60-70 dBA daytime.
Violations & Fines
Noise exceeding these limits is prima facie evidence of a nuisance under § B11-158; the county can seek a court injunction, and knowingly violating that injunction is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $500 and five days in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply inside San Jose or Sunnyvale?
Can a contractor get an exception for weekend work?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Clara County
How Santa Clara County compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Clara County to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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