Sammamish's own noise code sets no decibel limits. SMC 8.15.020 is a nuisance ordinance using "unreasonably disturbs" and a 75-foot audibility test, not dBA readings. Numeric decibel standards come from Washington state: WAC 173-60-040 caps residential (Class A EDNA) noise at 55 dBA, reduced to 45 dBA between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Sammamish does not use a decibel-meter standard in its municipal code. The city's Public Disturbance Noise ordinance, SMC Chapter 8.15 (Ordinance O2002-105), is qualitative and effects-based: it prohibits sound that is a "public nuisance" and noise that "unreasonably disturb[s] or interfere[s] with the peace, comfort and repose" of property owners, plus a 75-foot audibility test for amplified audio. No dBA figures appear anywhere in the chapter. The applicable numeric decibel limits instead come from the Washington Administrative Code. WAC 173-60-040 sets maximum permissible environmental noise levels by Environmental Designation for Noise Abatement (EDNA): for a residential (Class A) receiving property, noise from a residential source may not exceed 55 dBA, from a commercial source 57 dBA, and from an industrial source 60 dBA. Critically, "between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the noise limitations ... shall be reduced by 10 dBA for receiving property within Class A EDNAs," lowering the residential nighttime cap to 45 dBA. Separate dBA limits for vehicles on highways appear in WAC 173-62. These state rules provide the measurable backstop where Sammamish's nuisance ordinance leaves a gap.
Because Sammamish has no local dBA standard, decibel-based enforcement relies on state law. Stationary noise exceeding the WAC 173-60-040 EDNA limits - 55 dBA residential by day, 45 dBA between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. - can be a state noise violation. Locally, disturbing noise is cited as a public nuisance under SMC 8.15.020 (civil fine up to $250 first offense, up to $1,000 for repeats within 12 months) regardless of measured level.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
sammamish-wa
Sammamish does not prohibit backyard composting, and curbside yard waste/compost collection is available citywide. Curbside garbage, recycling, and yard-wast...
sammamish-wa
Artificial turf is allowed in Sammamish and counts as 'yard area' for landscaping purposes. However, the city's surface water rules (based on the King County...
sammamish-wa
Sammamish encourages native and drought-tolerant landscaping and requires it in certain contexts. The landscaping code (SDC 21.07.070) calls for drought-tole...
sammamish-wa
Rainwater harvesting is legal in Sammamish and across Washington. Under a 2009 Washington Department of Ecology policy, collecting rooftop rainwater for on-s...
sammamish-wa
The City of Sammamish runs no water utility and imposes no mandatory citywide watering restrictions. Water comes from special-purpose districts — chiefly Sam...
sammamish-wa
Sammamish does not set a numeric weed-height limit, but its landscaping standards (SDC 21.07.070) prohibit any plant on the King County noxious weed list acr...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in King County.
See how other cities in King County handle decibel limits.
See how Sammamish's decibel limits rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.