Tuscaloosa, AL Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Tuscaloosa, AL, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Code Section
- Tuscaloosa City Code Sec. 10.8-14(f)
- Permitted hours
- Construction exempt 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Outside hours
- Must meet Sec. 10.8-13 residential limits
- Emergency work
- Exempt at any hour (Sec. 10.8-14(a))
- Penalty
- Up to $500 and/or 6 months (Ala. Code 11-45-9)
Summary
Tuscaloosa exempts construction activity and equipment from its noise limits when operated between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. (City Code Sec. 10.8-14(f)). Outside that window, construction noise must comply with the residential decibel limits in Section 10.8-13.
Construction activity or equipment. The provisions of this article shall not apply to any construction activity or equipment operated between the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 102).
Full Breakdown
Tuscaloosa addresses construction noise through an exemption rather than a separate permit scheme. 8-12 defines 'construction activities' broadly as any activity incidental to the construction, erection, demolition, assembling, altering, installing or equipping of buildings, structures, roads or appurtenances, including land clearing, grading, excavating and filling. 'Construction equipment' is defined to include pile drivers, power shovels, derricks, loaders, rollers, pavement breakers, bulldozers, crawler-tractors, drills, cranes, trenchers, scrapers, pumps, compressors and pneumatic power equipment. 8-13. 8-14(a) covers emergency and public-service work, including construction directly related to abating an emergency or restoring essential public services, at any hour.
Violations & Fines
Construction noise outside the 6 a.m.-9 p.m. window is enforced under Section 10.8-13 and prosecuted in Tuscaloosa Municipal Court. Per Alabama Code Section 11-45-9, the penalty for an ordinance violation is up to $500 and/or up to six months.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can construction make noise in Tuscaloosa?
Are emergency repairs allowed at night?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tuscaloosa
How Tuscaloosa compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Tuscaloosa to another location·View the Alabama noise ordinances overview
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