Construction Hours and Noise Guidelines

As we begin the construction phase for multiple projects in the downtown area, we wanted to give some information as to when construction can occur. Construction in Clearwater can occur 7 days a week and any hour of the day if the noise ordinance is not violated. Construction is not limited by days of the week or hours of the day. Construction is limited by if it violates the noise ordinance. The noise ordinance only allows “raucous noise” between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and it is not allowed any hours on Sunday. This ordinance is enforced by the Clearwater Police Department and the details of it can be read below:  

Prohibited generally. It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully make, continue or cause to be made or continued any loud and raucous noise that through unaided, ordinary auditory senses can be heard upon the public streets, sidewalks, or rights-of-way, in any public park, in any school or public building, in any church or hospital, or in any occupied dwelling and that can be heard at a distance of 100 feet or more from the source of the noise, measured in a straight line from the radio, loudspeaker, motor, horn, or other noise source. The term "loud and raucous noise" shall mean any sound which because of its volume level and duration, annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, health, peace or safety of reasonable persons of ordinary sensibilities within the limits of the city. The term includes, but is not limited to, the kinds of loud and raucous noise generated by the activities enumerated in subsection B. when the loud and raucous noise through unaided, ordinary auditory senses can be heard at a distance of 100 feet or more from the source of the noise, measured in a straight line from the radio, loudspeaker, motor, horn, or other noise source, but not including activities enumerated in subsection D. of this section. It is the intent of this section to regulate unreasonably excessive noise and not to interfere with or unduly burden the exercise of a person's freedom of speech, expression, or religion.

Construction or repairing of buildings. The erection including excavation, demolition, alteration or repair of any building so as to create a loud and raucous noise other than between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on any day or at any time on Sunday, except in case of urgent necessity in the interest of public health and safety and then only with a permit from the building official, which permit may be granted for a period not to exceed three working days or less while the emergency continues and which permit may be renewed for successive periods of three days or less while the emergency continues. If the building official should determine that the public health and safety necessitates the issuance of such a permit and will not be impaired by the erection, demolition, alteration or repair of any building or the excavation of streets and highways within the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. or on Sunday, the building official may grant permission for such work to be done within such hours or within a shorter time period during such hours, upon application being made at the time the permit for the work is issued or during the progress of the work.