Warren, MI Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

The decibel ceiling appears in the Industrial Standards table of Article XVII, which classifies the city's industrial land into M-1, M-2, M-3 and M-4 districts under Section 17.01 and then sets a uniform performance-standards table in Section 17.02 covering yards, height, smoke, odors, gases, vibration and noise together. Row (j) of that table is titled 'Noise decibels as measured at the street or property line whichever causes the largest reading,' and lists the ceiling for each district: 75 decibels for M-1, 80 for M-2, 85 for M-3 and 90 for M-4. The table's note adds the operative rule: 'All mechanical noise shall be muffled so as not to become objectionable due to intermittence, beat frequency or shrillness. Noise may equal but shall not exceed average street traffic noise during such periods that traffic noise exceed above decibel readings,' meaning a use can match, but never surpass, whichever is higher, the fixed decibel number or the ambient street traffic noise at that time.

The same Section 17.02 table pairs the noise standard with related performance limits for the same industrial uses, such as a 200-foot residential setback for noise-silenced automatic screw machines (row g) and specific tonnage limits tied to distance for stamping machines and punch presses (row h). Any applicant proposing an M-1 through M-4 use must demonstrate compliance with the full Section 17.02 table, including row (j), and Section 17.03 requires an applicant seeking a prohibited industrial use like a slaughterhouse to furnish 'satisfactory evidence that the use can and will comply with the requirements of Industrial Performance Standards as specified in Section 17.02.'