Honolulu County, HI Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Honolulu County, HI, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Weekday permit window
- 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Saturday permit window
- 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Sundays and holidays
- No permit may allow above-limit noise
- Primary rule
- HAR 11-46
- Agency
- Hawaii DOH
Summary
Construction noise on Oahu is governed by state rule HAR 11-46, not a standalone Honolulu ordinance. Even a community noise permit cannot authorize above-limit construction noise before 7:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m. on weekdays, before 9:00 a.m. on Saturdays, or at any hour on Sundays and holidays.
(1) No permit shall allow any construction activities which emit noise in excess of the maximum permissible sound levels for the hours before 7:00 a.m. and after 6:00 p.m. of the same day, Monday through Friday; (2) No permit shall allow any construction activities which emit noise in excess of the maximum permissible sound levels for the hours before 9:00 a.m. and after 6:00 p.m. on Saturday; and (3) No permit shall allow any construction activities which emit noise in excess of the maximum permissible sound levels on Sundays and on holidays.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Honolulu County does not publish its own construction-hours ordinance. Noise from building work anywhere on Oahu falls under Hawaii Administrative Rules Title 11, Chapter 46, the Community Noise Control rule administered by the state Department of Health. Construction that will exceed the rule's maximum permissible sound levels needs a community noise permit from the department's Indoor and Radiological Health Branch, and the quoted permit conditions put hard edges on what any permit can authorize. of the same day. m. On Sundays and on holidays the rule closes the door completely, since no permit may allow construction noise above the maximum permissible sound levels at all.
Note what these clauses regulate: they cap what a permit can allow, so they bind permitted, louder-than-normal construction activity. Work quiet enough to stay within the maximum permissible sound levels is not what the quoted conditions restrict. At the county layer, ROH Chapter 41, Article 6 supplements the state rule with Honolulu's own prohibited-noise provisions, but the state rule remains the controlling construction-noise standard for the island.
Violations & Fines
Unpermitted construction outside authorized hours can draw state Department of Health enforcement, stop-work coordination with Honolulu inspectors, and civil penalties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues construction noise permits on Oahu?
Can a noise permit allow construction on a Sunday?
What are the Saturday hours for permitted construction noise?
Does the City and County of Honolulu have its own construction ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Honolulu County
How Honolulu County compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Honolulu County to another location·View the Hawaii noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.