Snohomish County, WA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Snohomish County, WA, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Daytime hours
- 7 a.m.-10 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. weekends
- Night hours
- 10 p.m.-7 a.m. weekdays, 10 p.m.-9 a.m. weekends
- Daytime construction noise
- Exempt from decibel limits
- Nighttime construction
- Barred without a disturbance exemption permit
- Exemption permit fee
- $150 non-refundable
- First-offense penalty
- $50 civil infraction
- Street work exception
- No permit needed, max 4 weeks/neighborhood
Summary
Construction equipment noise at a temporary construction site is exempt from Snohomish County's decibel limits during daytime hours, generally 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekends. Run construction or blasting at night, though, and it becomes a public disturbance noise under SCC 10.01.040(2)(c) unless the operator has first obtained a permit.
(2) Public Disturbance Noises, at Night in Rural or Residential Districts. Sounds resulting from the following activities are determined to be public disturbance noises when they occur at night and noise is received on property in a rural or residential district. ... (c) Construction activity, including blasting, unless a public disturbance exemption permit pursuant to SCC 10.01.050(6) is obtained.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through legislation passed August 12, 2026).
Full Breakdown
on weekends. 050(6). Getting that permit means filing with the county noise administrator at least 45 days before the work, paying a $150 non-refundable application fee, posting the property with notice of the proposed exemption, and mailing notice to every property owner and resident within 500 feet; a 30-day comment window follows before the administrator issues a temporary permit, which becomes final after a 14-day appeal period if no one objects. 050(7) lets street construction or repair projects run at night without any permit if public safety requires it, no single neighborhood is affected for more than four weeks, and adjacent residents get at least a week's advance notice. 080(1), while the planning and development services administrator handles exemption permits and the separate decibel standards.
Violations & Fines
Nighttime construction noise without a valid permit is a civil infraction under SCC 10.01.080(3), carrying a $50 fine on the first offense and $100 for a repeat violation of a like nature within one year. A second violation within 24 hours of the first becomes a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine, and a fourth violation within a year of three prior adjudications is likewise treated as a misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can construction crews legally work in unincorporated Snohomish County?
Can a contractor ever get approval for nighttime construction noise?
Is nighttime road construction ever allowed without a permit?
What happens if a builder ignores the nighttime construction noise rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Snohomish County
How Snohomish County compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Snohomish County to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
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