The hours
Calgary does not set "construction hours" as such. It sets day-time and night-time in its Community Standards Bylaw (32M2023), and noisy work belongs in the day:
| Day-time | Night-time | |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday | 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. |
| Sundays and holidays | 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. |
The one that catches crews out is Sunday: nothing loud before 9 a.m.
What you cannot do at night near homes
On or near a residential development, the bylaw lists things that may only be used during the day. For a construction crew the line that matters is:
- a power tool outside of any building or structure.
So at night, interior work with the doors closed is a different thing from cutting on the driveway. Inside is not unlimited either: the sound limits below still apply at the neighbour's property.
The same list covers motorized garden tools and engine-powered snow clearing, which is allowed at night only in the 48 hours after a snowfall, rain or freezing rain.
How loud is too loud
The bylaw also sets sound levels. The City measures them at the point where the sound reaches someone else, such as a neighbouring property.
In a residential development:
| Sound | Day-time | Night-time |
|---|---|---|
| Continuous, averaged over 1 hour | 65 dBA | 50 dBA |
| Non-continuous, averaged over 15 minutes | 85 dBA | 75 dBA |
In non-residential areas, the limit is 85 dBA over an hour, day or night. Downtown has its own limit for continuous sound: 75 dBA in the day and 60 dBA at night. Where the background sound is already at or above those levels, a sound has to be more than 5 dBA over it before it is an offence.
What counts is the level where it reaches the neighbour, not the level at the tool.
Fines
The City lists fines of $250 to $500 for breaking the noise rules in residential developments, and $100 to $200 for general noise violations under the bylaw.
Working outside the hours: the noise exemption permit
When a pour, a crane lift or a shutdown has to happen at night, the City issues a noise exemption permit. It is how commercial jobs legally work outside day-time.
- It is free. There is no fee.
- Apply 7 to 30 days ahead. Later than 7 days, the City cannot guarantee it will be approved in time.
- 14 days at most per permit.
- It covers 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays, and 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. on Sundays and holidays.
- For construction, have the building permit ready, and a plan for how you will lower the noise and keep it from bothering neighbours.
- The City can revoke it if you do not take enough care to reduce the noise, or break its conditions.
Any person or company can apply, through the City's noise exemption permit page.
If someone complains
Noise complaints go to the City through 311, or 403-268-2489 from outside Calgary, and a bylaw officer may attend. The quickest way to avoid one on a long job is the boring one: tell the neighbours what is coming, and when.
Check the source
This page summarizes the City of Calgary's noise bylaw pages as of October 2026. Contracts and site rules can be stricter than the bylaw, so read the GC's site rules too.
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