Everyone must respect the tranquility of your neighborhood. For this, it is necessary at least to keep informed of the rules applied in its municipality since the regulations can vary somewhat from one agglomeration to another, and is fixed either by municipal decree, or by prefectural decree. We are therefore not going to list here the regulations specific to each of the 34,839 municipalities of the metropolis, but will try to address what applies in general and the main good attitudes to hold in order to limit the unwanted noise linked to the do-it-yourself that this either weekdays, weekends, public holidays, day or night.
DIY work: beware of noise pollution!
In terms of noise pollution, and contrary to what many people believe, we can be verbalized night, but also day. We are talking about nocturnal nuisance but also of daytime nuisance. And this is completely understandable.
No one has the right to affect the tranquility of those around him for any reason whatsoever, and in this area, the regulations in noise is very clear. What is less is that she is different from one municipality to another. The handyman (of Sunday and others) has every interest in being aware of the rules in terms of noise pollution related to the work if he does not want to get in trouble with his neighbors or be fined by the Forces of Order.
Construction noise: the regulations in general
Do-it-yourself work likely to cause noise pollution is – in some places – prohibited on Sundays and public holidays. They are authorized from Monday to Fridayprovided that the interested party respects the imposed time slots by the regulations in force. Generally, its authorized hours are as follows:
- From 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday, but in certain urban areas, authorized time slots may extend until 7:30 p.m., or even until 10:00 p.m. only from Monday to Friday.
- From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays in major cities,
- From 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Saturdays in many municipalities,
- Between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on Sundays and public holidays in certain cities.
For Paris for example, it is a prefectural decree which sets the hours and days authorized to carry out noisy works likely to disturb neighbours. They are currently regulated as follows:
- From 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday to Friday,
- From 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Saturday,
- Prohibited on Sundays and public holidays.
However, for the sake of consistency, the National Noise Council showed up quite favorable noise from DIY work from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. during working days, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sundays and public holidays.
We note that the law authorizes noisy DIY work on Saturdays during shorter time slots than on weekdays in order to allow people who work outside all week to still be able to carry out certain work during the weekend. But the authorized time slots are short because you still have to respect the right to rest of your neighbors who have also worked all week.
The regulations tend to maintain good relations among all. Let’s not forget that the noise is a plagueand contrary to what many think, we can as well complain about daytime noise what of nocturnal noise.
It should be noted that the law imposes limits in terms of permissible sound level. For example, at the property boundary, noise must remain less than or equal to 70 dB (A). This corresponds to a measurement weighted in relation to the sensitivity of the human ear which, as everyone knows, only perceives a part of the sounds.
Carrying out noisy work beyond regulatory limits: the solution
It is quite common that one is forced to carry out DIY work at home, and consequently make noise outside authorized hours. To prevent neighbors who are overwhelmed by all this noise from ending up lodge a complaint for daytime noise and/or nighttime noise, the best solution is to invite them to your home before work and tell them about your plans. We obviously take advantage of this cordial occasion to to negotiate with them à la carte schedules that suit everyone.
To live in perfect harmony with its neighborhood, it is better to respect the legal hours to perform noisy DIY work. For example, you can take a few days off for DIY outside of Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, which allows you to have longer days, and therefore reduce the duration of the work. Respecting your neighbors and their tranquility is very important and it avoids many conflicts.
DIY work and noise pollution in a condominium?
Note that to carry out noisy work in a condominium, it is strongly recommended to collect all permissions which are required. Neighbors should be duly informed when the works must be carried out within parties communes. Some works do not require any specific authorization, namely those carried out in the private areas such as electrical work, painting, changing a floor covering or even removing a partition to enlarge the living room. The only condition, however, is not to intervene on a load-bearing wall.
Be careful, however, to take all the precautions so as not to annoy the co-owners, even when private works. You must respect their right of way and the regulatory hours so as not to disturb the co-ownership by the noise of the work (hammers, drill, electric saw, etc.). These schedules in condominium are usually :
- 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on working days,
- 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays,
- 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Sundays and public holidays.
Noise during DIY work and neighborhood disturbance: what are the risks?
The notion of noise is extremely subtle. It implies that the disturbance is caused in the neighborhood by noises likely to harm the health of others. However, it is scientifically proven that humans never get used to noise. The law is therefore useful since it sanctions a citizen who does not respect the limits set. It is for this reason that any noise considered annoying that is generated before 22:00 can also be sanctionnable. Thus, by not respecting the schedules, the offender exposes himself to sanctions, namely:
- A fine ranging from 68 to 108 euros,
- Lawsuits.
It should be noted that the construction noises and the diy noises are regulated by two distinct articles. For the DIY workit’s’article R 1334-31 of the Public Health Code which applies. In order to be in compliance with the law, you should consult the official website of your municipality. This makes it possible to ensure authorized time slots, that is to say those during which it is possible to carry out DIY work or prune trees.
Demonstrate civility, it means, for example, organizing so that the noisiest DIY work is not carried out on Sundays or public holidays, or even outside authorized time slots. And as we pointed out previously, in order not to risk a sanction, it is highly recommended to opt for a amicable agreement with his neighbours.