Loveland, CO Noise Ordinances: Industrial Noise (2026)

Loveland Municipal Code 7.32.040 establishes the highest property-line caps for the industrial zone: 75 db(A) during the daytime window (7 a.m. to 9 p.m.) and 70 db(A) during the nighttime window (9 p.m. to 7 a.m.), measured at 25 feet or more from any property line. Note these are 5 db(A) lower than the Colorado state CRS 25-12-103 industrial caps (80/75) and reflect Loveland's choice to be slightly stricter for heavy industry. LMC 7.32.020(C) defines 'industrial' as 'an area in which noise restrictions on industry are necessary to protect the value of adjacent properties or for other economic activity, but shall not include agricultural operations' - agricultural operations are not regulated under Chapter 7.32. LMC 7.32.020(D) (Adjacent) is critical: 'When a noise source can be measured for more than one zone, the permissible sound level of the more restricted zone shall govern.' So a manufacturing facility in an industrial zone whose noise can be measured at a residential property line is governed by the 55/50 residential cap at that property line, NOT the 75/70 industrial cap. LMC 7.32.010(B) (periodic, impulsive, or shrill noises) further reduces the effective cap by 5 db(A) for tonal sources - common in industrial settings (compressors, chillers, conveyors, machine-tool whines). LMC 7.32.060(A) allows the +10 db(A) burst for up to 15 min/hour during 7 a.m.-9 p.m. LMC 7.32.060(E) treats all railroad rights-of-way as industrial zones (relevant for the BNSF and Great Western lines through Loveland). Major Loveland industrial users - the historic Hewlett-Packard / Agilent / Keysight Technologies campus on West Eisenhower Boulevard, the Northeast Development Park (NDP) east of I-25, the Centerra commercial/industrial area, and various aggregate/concrete operations - operate under these caps with the adjacent-zone rule applying at residential property lines along Loveland's many mixed-use boundaries. The LMC 7.32.070 temporary-permit mechanism is available for short-duration operations exceeding the cap (planned maintenance shutdowns, equipment testing, etc.) with City Manager approval. Loveland Police 970-667-2151 handles in-progress complaints; persistent industrial sources may be referred to the Loveland Code Administration Office or the Larimer County Department of Health & Environment for nuisance investigation.