Construction hours in Wake County, NC β sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances β set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Wake County Code Sec. 92.05 prohibits plainly audible unreasonable construction noise in residential or business districts during nighttime hours (11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.). Exceptions exist when the site is more than 1,000 feet from the nearest dwelling/business, with written neighbor permission, or where the work must be continuous.
Wake County Code Section 92.05 lists specific prohibited noises in addition to the general "unreasonable noise" prohibition of Sec. 92.03. The construction subsection makes it unlawful to create or emit plainly audible unreasonable noise associated with the erection, alteration, substantial repair, or demolition of any building, earth moving activities, street paving or utility construction, in a residential or business district during nighttime hours.
Three exceptions are written into the construction provision. First, the rule does not apply when the construction site is more than 1,000 feet from the nearest dwelling or business. Second, work may proceed at night when the property owners or occupants of all dwellings or businesses within 1,000 feet have given written permission. Third, work may proceed continuously when the nature of the construction activity or applicable federal or state law requires continuous operation (for example, certain concrete pours or utility-emergency repairs).
Because Sec. 92.02 defines nighttime as 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., the practical effect is that routine construction in unincorporated Wake County must occur between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. Daytime construction is still subject to the general "unreasonable noise" standard of Sec. 92.03 and Sec. 92.05 (B)-(C) for loading/unloading and impact equipment. Chapter 92 applies only in unincorporated Wake County - incorporated cities (Raleigh, Cary, Apex, etc.) have stricter and separate construction-hour rules in their own codes.
Sec. 92.07 makes a Chapter 92 violation a Class 3 misdemeanor under N.C. Gen. Stat. Sec. 14-4(a), with civil penalties available; each day in continuing violation may be treated as a separate offense. Stop-work or further code-enforcement action may be coordinated through Wake County Planning, Development & Inspections. Report nighttime construction noise in unincorporated Wake County to the Wake County Sheriff's Office non-emergency line.
Wake County, NC
North Carolina counties do not have express statutory authority to regulate driveway connections directly, so Wake County itself does not issue residential d...
Wake County, NC
Wake County does not maintain any streets. Per the Wake County GIS division, "Public streets are maintained by the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) or...
Wake County, NC
Abandoned vehicles in unincorporated Wake County are governed by two statewide statutes: NCGS Section 20-137.7 (state definitions of 'abandoned' and 'derelic...
Wake County, NC
The Wake County Unified Development Ordinance does NOT regulate residential fence materials, opacity, or finished-side orientation in unincorporated Wake Cou...
Wake County, NC
In unincorporated Wake County, most residential fences do NOT need a building permit. Wake County Inspections & Permits applies the 2018 North Carolina Resid...
Wake County, NC
Wake County, NC has no breed-specific dog ban. Pit bulls, Rottweilers, Doberman pinschers, German shepherds, and all other breeds are legal in the unincorpor...
See how Wake County's construction hours rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.