Sammamish is a largely residential city without heavy industry, and SMC 8.15 sets no industrial decibel standard. Industrial/commercial noise affecting homes is governed primarily by Washington's WAC 173-60-040 EDNA limits: 60 dBA from an industrial source to a residential property, dropping to 50 dBA between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. The general SMC 8.15.020 nuisance rule also applies.
Sammamish's noise code does not include industrial-specific decibel limits or zoning-based noise tiers; SMC Chapter 8.15 is a single public-disturbance-noise ordinance applying citywide. Because the city is predominantly residential with limited commercial and essentially no heavy industrial zoning, industrial-type noise is mainly relevant where a commercial or light-industrial use abuts homes. There, Washington's environmental noise rules supply the measurable standard. Under WAC 173-60-040, maximum permissible noise levels are keyed to the Environmental Designation for Noise Abatement (EDNA) of both the source and the receiving property: for a residential (Class A) receiving property, the limit from an industrial-source (Class C EDNA) property is 60 dBA, and from a commercial-source property 57 dBA. These limits are reduced by 10 dBA between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. for Class A (residential) receiving property, putting the industrial-to-residential nighttime cap at 50 dBA. Beyond those numeric limits, any frequent, repetitive, or continuous noise from operating or testing equipment that unreasonably disturbs neighbors can be cited as a public nuisance under SMC 8.15.020. Mechanical equipment such as HVAC, generators, and refrigeration units are typically evaluated against the WAC dBA limits.
Industrial or commercial-source noise reaching a residential property above the WAC 173-60-040 EDNA limits (60 dBA industrial / 57 dBA commercial by day; reduced 10 dBA from 10 p.m.-7 a.m.) is a state noise violation. Equipment noise that unreasonably disturbs neighbors is also a public nuisance under SMC 8.15.020, with a civil fine up to $250 first offense and up to $1,000 for repeats within 12 months.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Sammamish does not prohibit backyard composting, and curbside yard waste/compost collection is available citywide. Curbside garbage, recycling, and yard-wast...
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Artificial turf is allowed in Sammamish and counts as 'yard area' for landscaping purposes. However, the city's surface water rules (based on the King County...
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Sammamish encourages native and drought-tolerant landscaping and requires it in certain contexts. The landscaping code (SDC 21.07.070) calls for drought-tole...
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Rainwater harvesting is legal in Sammamish and across Washington. Under a 2009 Washington Department of Ecology policy, collecting rooftop rainwater for on-s...
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The City of Sammamish runs no water utility and imposes no mandatory citywide watering restrictions. Water comes from special-purpose districts — chiefly Sam...
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Sammamish does not set a numeric weed-height limit, but its landscaping standards (SDC 21.07.070) prohibit any plant on the King County noxious weed list acr...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in King County.
See how other cities in King County handle industrial noise.
See how Sammamish's industrial noise rules stack up against other locations.
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