Kent County, DE Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Kent County, DE, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Restricted hours
- 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Covers
- Commercial construction, repair, alteration, demolition
- Also bars
- Tampered sound-control devices, EPA violations
- First offense fine
- $30 under § 161-3A
- Waiver option
- Special waiver from Division of Inspections and Enforcement
Summary
Kent County bars noisy construction, repair or demolition equipment between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. under its general noise ordinance. The rule also forbids construction noise from equipment with tampered sound-control devices or work that violates federal EPA noise regulations. It covers commercial building, street and alley work anywhere in the unincorporated county.
Construction noise. Operating or causing to be operated any equipment used in commercial construction, repair, alteration or demolition work on buildings, structures, streets, alleys or appurtenances thereto, in the following manner: (a) With sound control devices which have been tampered with. (b) In violation of any regulation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. (c) Between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the following day which creates a noise disturbance.
Full Breakdown
Kent County Code § 161-2B(5) prohibits 'operating or causing to be operated any equipment used in commercial construction, repair, alteration or demolition work on buildings, structures, streets, alleys or appurtenances thereto' in three specific ways: with sound-control devices that have been tampered with, in violation of any U.S. Environmental Protection Agency noise regulation, or 'between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the following day which creates a noise disturbance.' The nighttime cutoff means contractors working in the unincorporated county must stop equipment that creates a noise disturbance by 11 p.m. and cannot resume until 7 a.m.
The construction-hours rule is one of twelve specific noise disturbances listed in § 161-2B, alongside separate hour restrictions for motor vehicle repair, loading operations and power tools, all keyed to the same 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. window. The chapter does not provide a blanket daytime exemption for construction; daytime work is still measured against the ambient-noise standards in § 161-5 if it creates a disturbance. A contractor who needs to work outside the permitted schedule can apply to the Division of Inspections and Enforcement for a special waiver under § 161-4C by filing a written application showing that compliance would create an unreasonable hardship.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of the construction-noise curfew is a $30 fine under § 161-3A, rising to $100 for a second offense, $250 for a third and $500 for a fourth. A fifth or later offense carries a fine of at least $1,000 and up to $10,000, and each day a contractor keeps running prohibited equipment past 11 p.m. counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Kent County contractor get permission to work past 11 p.m.?
Does the construction noise rule apply to homeowners doing their own work?
What happens if a construction crew is cited more than once?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kent County
How Kent County compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Kent County to another location·View the Delaware noise ordinances overview
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