Chico Municipal Code §9.38.040 caps noise from any commercial or industrial property at 70 dBA, measured at any point outside the property plane — a single flat limit with no day/night split. Construction is treated separately under §9.38.060(B) with a higher 83 dBA equipment / 86 dBA property-plane allowance during permitted hours.
Section 9.38.040 reads: 'No person shall produce, suffer or allow to be produced by human voice, machine, animal, or device, or any combination of same, on commercial or industrial property, a noise level at any point outside of the property plane that exceeds seventy (70) dBA.' Measurement under §9.38.020(G) uses a Type 1 or Type 2 sound level meter on A-weighting, slow response (fast for impulse), microphone at least 4 feet above ground and 4.5 feet from reflecting surfaces. Section 9.38.052 provides an independent unreasonable-noise test that does NOT require a meter — useful for tonal, rhythmic, or recurrent industrial sources (e.g., HVAC tonal hum, refrigeration compressors) even if under 70 dBA. Construction noise §9.38.060(B): 83 dBA at 25 ft from any single device, 86 dBA at property plane, allowed only 7 a.m.–9 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Sundays/holidays.
Infraction fines: $250 first offense, $500 second, $1,000 third (§9.38.130). Each hour of continuing violation is a separate offense. Also declared a public nuisance — city attorney may seek injunction (§9.38.140). Enforcement is complaint-driven (§9.38.015(B)).
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