Tigard, OR Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Tigard, OR, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Construction exemption hours
- 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week
- Demolition
- Permit required, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. only
- Maximum exempt noise
- 85 dB for more than five minutes in a day is a violation
- Chainsaws on live trees
- 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., not over two hours in 24 hours
- Night limit at a noise-sensitive unit
- 40 dB, 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Penalty
- Class 1 civil infraction, up to $250 per day
Summary
In the City of Tigard, Oregon, sounds from industrial, agricultural or construction activities are exempt from the noise limits only between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., seven days a week. Demolition needs a permit and the same hours, and even exempt work cannot exceed 85 dB for more than five minutes in a calendar day.
B. Except as provided in Section 6.02.450, the following acts are violations of this article if they exceed the noise limits specified in Section 6.02.430: ... 7. Erection (including excavation), demolition, alteration or repair of any building, except as allowed under Sections 6.02.450.E and 6.02.450.F; ... The following shall not be considered violations of this article, even if the sound limit specified in Section 6.02.430 is exceeded: ... E. Sounds caused by demolition activities when performed under a permit issued by appropriate governmental authorities and only between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. seven days a week; F. Sounds caused by industrial, agricultural or construction activities during the hours of 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week; ... Notwithstanding Section 6.02.450, creation of noise by any activity subject to the exceptions listed in subsection E, F, H, or I of Section 6.02.450, in excess of 85 dB measured on property on which a noise sensitive use is located, for more than five minutes in any calendar day, shall be a violation.
Full Breakdown
Section 6.02.440.B.7 of the Tigard Municipal Code makes erection (including excavation), demolition, alteration or repair of any building a violation of the noise article when it exceeds the Section 6.02.430 limits, except as allowed under Sections 6.02.450.E and 6.02.450.F. Those two exceptions are the working-hours rule. Section 6.02.450.F exempts sounds caused by industrial, agricultural or construction activities during the hours of 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. Section 6.02.450.E exempts demolition sounds only when the work is performed under a permit issued by appropriate governmental authorities and only between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. seven days a week.
Outside 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., construction noise loses the exemption and is measured against Section 6.02.430: 40 dB from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. and 50 dB from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. at a property with a noise-sensitive unit. Section 6.02.450.H gives the same 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. window to air-, electrical- or gas-driven domestic tools such as leaf blowers, lawn mowers and circular saws, but not tools used for vehicle repair. Section 6.02.450.I allows chainsaws for pruning, trimming or cutting live trees between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., not exceeding two hours in any 24-hour period.
The exemption has a ceiling. Section 6.02.460 makes it a violation, notwithstanding Section 6.02.450, for activity under subsection E, F, H or I to exceed 85 dB measured on property on which a noise sensitive use is located for more than five minutes in any calendar day. Public facility projects in rights-of-way follow Section 6.02.450.M, which requires a noise mitigation plan approved by the city manager that maps project noise impacts, gives special consideration to noise sensitive units, outlines public notification and provides a 24-hour telephone contact number.
Violations & Fines
Violations are Class 1 civil infractions under Section 6.01.040.A, with a civil penalty or administrative fee of up to $250 per day under Section 1.16.640.A.1, and each day is a separate infraction under Section 6.01.040.B. Section 6.02.470.A's two-witness rule applies only to the plainly audible, unnecessarily loud and public-place tests, so a decibel reading or a single officer's measurement can support a citation for the 85 dB ceiling or the Section 6.02.430.A limits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can construction run in the City of Tigard?
Is construction allowed on Sundays in Tigard?
Does demolition have different rules?
Is there a loudness cap during allowed hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tigard
How Tigard compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Tigard to another location·View the Oregon noise ordinances overview
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Construction Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Washington County handle construction hours.