Shoreline, WA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Shoreline, WA, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Section
- SMC § 9.05.070(I)
- Permitted hours
- 7am-10pm weekdays, 9am-10pm weekends
- Related exemption
- SMC § 9.05.060(B)(2)
- Fine
- $100.00 civil infraction per day
- Variance available
- SMC § 9.05.080
Summary
In the City of Shoreline, construction noise outside 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on weekends is a public nuisance under Shoreline Municipal Code § 9.05.070(I). Work that generates noise inside those windows is treated as permitted daytime activity rather than a nuisance source.
§ 9.05.070. Public nuisance noise. ... I. Sounds made by the construction activities outside the hours of 7:00 a.m. through 10:00 p.m. weekdays and 9:00 a.m. through 10:00 p.m. weekends.
Full Breakdown
Section 9.05.070(I) of the Shoreline Municipal Code draws the construction noise line directly: sounds made by construction activities outside the hours of 7:00 a.m. through 10:00 p.m. weekdays and 9:00 a.m. through 10:00 p.m. weekends are defined as public nuisance noise. Read together with the chapter's exemptions section, § 9.05.060(B)(2), which excuses sounds generated between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. weekdays and 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. weekends for construction and for the maintenance or repair of homes, grounds and appurtenances, the two provisions set one consistent daytime construction window citywide: work before 7:00 a.m. or after 10:00 p.m. on a weekday, or before 9:00 a.m. or after 10:00 p.m. on a weekend, falls outside the protected hours and is enforceable as a nuisance.
The rule applies regardless of the type of construction equipment or decibel level involved; timing alone establishes the violation. Enforcement runs through § 9.05.090: the code enforcement officer or the Shoreline Police Department may issue a civil infraction carrying a $100.00 fine, with each day of after-hours construction noise counted as a separate violation, and the cited contractor or property owner can appeal to the King County District Court, West Division, in Shoreline. A contractor who cannot avoid working outside these hours because of documented economic or physical constraints may apply for a variance under § 9.05.080, which the city manager or the relevant permitting authority reviews and may condition on maximum noise levels or duration limits.
Violations & Fines
Construction noise outside 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. weekdays or 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. weekends is a civil infraction under § 9.05.090(B), carrying a $100.00 fine per violation, with each day counted separately under § 9.05.090(C). Shoreline's code enforcement officer or the Shoreline Police Department issues the citation, and the contractor or owner may appeal to the King County District Court, West Division, or seek a § 9.05.080 variance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can construction crews work in Shoreline without violating noise rules?
Is there an exception for emergency construction work at night in Shoreline?
Can a contractor get permission to work outside Shoreline's construction hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shoreline
How Shoreline compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Shoreline to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
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Construction Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle construction hours.