Reducing Noise Problems

Things You Can Do to Reduce Noise Problems

Whether you live in a single-family home, a multi-family building, or a townhouse or condo, you can help maintain a quiet environment by following a few common-sense guidelines:

  • Monitor the volume of TVs, stereos, radios, and other sound-producing electronics in and around your home, especially during quiet hours. Pay particular attention to bass controls.
  • Use power tools in your home, garage, or outdoors only during daytime hours.
  • Limit outdoor activities that might generate undue noise to daytime hours.
  • Check central and window air-conditioning units periodically to make sure they're operating as quietly as possible.
  • Take good care of your pets. A healthy dog receiving regular food, exercise, and proper shelter won't bark incessantly.
  • Make sure your family and guests are aware of, and comply with, quiet hours.
  • "Buy quiet" when selecting equipment and appliances.

Businesses can also be good neighbors and comply with County Law by limiting the following activities to daytime hours:

  • Construction activities
  • Loading and unloading of goods and materials
  • Use of electronic sound and public address equipment
  • Use of power equipment mounted on motor vehicles
  • Use of power lawn equipment

Also, keep noise control in mind when building or renovating and be sure to follow all the applicable regulations within the Noise Control Law.

It is also helpful to be mindful of noise throughout the day. Our community is changing because smart growth and land use planning is clustering development into multiple-use areas. Traditional residential areas now share space with a variety of commercial uses. There is a greater opportunity for business noise to be a disturbance to those living nearby. Further, an increasing number of people now run businesses from their homes or telecommute - a midweek afternoon lawn service might now interrupt an at-home teleconference.

How Is Noise Measured?

The standard unit by which sound is measured is the decibel (dB), a relative measure of sound intensity. Decibels are calculated on a logarithmic scale (meaning that a measure of 40 dB is 10 times greater than one of 30 dB). Some examples of typical situations and their corresponding decibel levels are:

* Note: The Noise Law uses an A-weighted scale, measured in A-weighted decibels (dBA). A-weighting is an electronic approximation.

Intensity vs. Loudness

Decibels are a measure of sound intensity—the pressure of sound waves on the human ear. They provide a standardized, objective unit of measure and differ from a measure of the perceived "loudness" of a sound.

Loudness is a subjective measure because different people have different levels of hearing and don't experience sound in the same way.  Someone who is hard of hearing, for example, might not perceive a jackhammer as loud while someone with excellent hearing could be disturbed by the same noise. Both people, however, would experience the same level of sound intensity.

Be Aware! When continuous exposure to sound reaches 85 dBA (as in a factory), there is a great risk of permanent hearing loss.

Procedures Governing the Measurement of Noise Levels by Montgomery County

During business hours, Code Enforcement personnel from the Department of Environmental Protection investigate complaints by using sound level meters to measure dBA levels at property lines.  After regular business hours, the Noise Law allows police officers to issue citations for noise disturbances on their own judgment and with the testimony of witnesses. 

  • Regulations in  Chapter 31B of Code of Montgomery County Regulations (COMCOR). Download the  Montgomery County Noise Law (PDF).
  • Noise measurements are taken with a sound level meter meeting Type II specifications.  The meter shall be certified annually with equipment traceable to  NIST and ANSI specification S1.4 (American National Standard Specification for Sound Level Meters)
  • Measurements are taken at the property line of the alleged violator as to determine the maximum A-weighted (dBA) sound level, which can include upper floors of nearby habited structures.  (One exception is where the law specifies otherwise – e.g., at least 50 feet from construction equipment.)
  • Measurements shall not be conducted in the presence of wind speeds greater than 12 miles per hour, nor in the presence of precipitation or fog.  No measurement shall be made closer than 3 feet to any large reflecting surface.  
  • Before citing a violation of a noise limit the regulation allows a 2.5 dBA grace to account for all possible inaccuracies
  • The measurement of noise produced by motor vehicles in transit is prescribed by State and Federal Laws. Enforcement by police officers is provided for by State Law.