Plano, TX Noise Ordinances: Industrial Noise (2026)

Plano's industrial and commercial noise is addressed through the Zoning Ordinance performance standards combined with the general noise ordinance. Performance standards tied to each zoning district (office, light commercial, light industrial, research and technology) set expectations for sound that crosses the property line into adjacent less-intense zones, with the most protective limits applied at the boundary with residential property. Typical enforcement reference points are in the low 60s dBA during the day and mid 50s dBA at night measured at the receiving residential property line, though specific thresholds and measurement methods are codified in the ordinance itself. Major employers clustered along the Dallas North Tollway and Sam Rayburn Tollway (President George Bush Turnpike), including Toyota North American Headquarters, Liberty Mutual, JPMorgan Chase, FedEx Office headquarters, Frito-Lay, and the Legacy and Granite Park mixed-use campuses, operate under site plans and Certificates of Occupancy that incorporate sound control (screening walls, speaker orientation, mechanical equipment enclosures). HVAC chillers, loading dock operations, backup generators, and parking lot sweepers are common sources of neighboring complaints. Investigations are handled by Plano Code Compliance and Police, usually requiring sound measurements taken at the property line during the event. Violations can lead to Class C misdemeanor citations up to 2,000 dollars per day when health or safety is implicated, plus revocation of conditional use conditions. Many Plano industrial users self-impose tighter limits through HOA-like business-park covenants.