Pleasanton, CA Noise Ordinances: Industrial Noise (2026)

Industrial and commercial operations in Pleasanton are governed by the property-line decibel limits of Chapter 9.04, which scale upward with the intensity of the zoning. For industrial property, no person may produce, by any machine, device or combination, a noise level in excess of 75 dBA at any point outside the property plane. Commercial property is held to 70 dBA, and residential property to 60 dBA, so an industrial use near homes can become a violation if its noise crosses into a residential property and exceeds that lower limit. The chapter also addresses specific fixed equipment: section 9.04.072 sets out requirements for electricity generators, fuel cells and wind energy conversion facilities, reflecting the city's effort to keep mechanical and energy equipment within acceptable noise levels at the property boundary. The same time-of-day framework applies, with the 70 dBA at 25 feet exemption available only during the daytime windows of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays and holidays. Because limits are measured at the receiving property line, an industrial operator is responsible for ensuring its noise does not exceed the limit applicable to the adjacent property, and persistent exceedances can be cited as noise violations. Operators planning loud processes or new equipment should evaluate noise at the property boundary and consider attenuation to remain compliant.