---
title: "Williams Lake noise bylaw: quiet hours, construction hours and fines"
question: "What are the noise rules and quiet hours in Williams Lake?"
place: Williams Lake, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/williams-lake
category: Bylaws, noise and complaints
owner: municipal
owner_body: City of Williams Lake
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/williams-lake/noise-rules/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/williams-lake/noise-rules.json"
---

# Williams Lake noise bylaw: quiet hours, construction hours and fines

**Question:** What are the noise rules and quiet hours in Williams Lake?

**Short answer:** Williams Lake's Good Neighbour Bylaw bans noise that disturbs the quiet, peace or comfort of people nearby, at any hour. It sets no general fixed quiet hours; it sets hours only for lawn and garden equipment (10 p.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays) and construction (7 a.m. to 10 p.m.).

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Williams Lake, https://www.williamslake.ca)  
**Cost:** Bylaw notice $100 for noise that tends to disturb ($75 if paid within 14 days; $125 if paid late). Excessive noise $500; construction noise outside hours $150.  
**Where:**
- Online: Bylaw complaint form, https://williamslake.civicweb.net/items/Item/public.aspx?TypeID=17
- In person: Bylaw Services office, 230 Hodgson Rd, Williams Lake (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
- Phone: City Hall front desk, 250-392-2311

## Key facts

- **General rule:** No one may make or allow noise on a highway or public place, or from property they own or occupy, that disturbs or tends to disturb the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort or convenience of people nearby.
  - Source: [Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194, 2014 (consolidated), s. 6.5.1](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/67409)
  - Official wording: "No person shall make or cause, or permit to be made or caused, any noise in or on a" … "disturbs or tends to disturb the quiet,"
  - Source: [Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194, 2014 (consolidated), s. 6.5.2](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/67409)
  - Official wording: "No person being the owner, occupier or tenant of Real Property shall allow or permit"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Quiet hours:** None set. Williams Lake's Good Neighbour Bylaw sets no fixed quiet hours for ordinary noise.
- **Construction hours:** Construction, repair, demolition, excavation or fill work that causes disturbing noise is not allowed before 7 a.m. or after 10 p.m. on any day. The Senior Building Inspector may grant an exemption for necessary work at set hours. (Sources differ: The City's Good Neighbour Bylaw web page says 'Construction for gain on Sunday would be allowed between 8 AM and 10 PM.' The bylaw text sets 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on every day, with no separate Sunday rule; the bylaw is followed here.)
  - Source: [Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194, 2014 (consolidated), s. 6.6(e)](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/67409)
  - Official wording: "no person in the City shall, on any day before 7:00 am or after 10:00 pm, construct, erect, reconstruct, alter, repair or demolish any"
  - Source: [Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194, 2014 (consolidated), s. 6.3.1](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/67409)
  - Official wording: "the Senior Building Inspector may grant an exemption to carry out work that is found to be necessary"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Other limits:** Lawn and garden equipment may not run 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday to Friday, or 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Also covered: amplified sound disturbing neighbours, animals or birds whose cries unduly disturb, mobile public address systems, boat exhausts. No decibel limits. Exempt: emergency work, farm operations, household equipment, licensed trades in commercial or industrial zones.
  - Source: [Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194, 2014 (consolidated), s. 6.6(d)](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/67409)
  - Official wording: "between the hours of 10:00 pm and 7:00 am Monday to Friday and between the hours of 10:00 pm" … "and 8:00 am on Saturday or Sunday, or a Statutory/Civic Holiday"
  - Source: [Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194, 2014 (consolidated), s. 6.6(c)](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/67409)
  - Official wording: "no person shall own, keep or harbour any"
  - Source: [Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194, 2014 (consolidated), s. 6.2.1](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/67409)
  - Official wording: "Performing works of an emergency nature for the preservation or protection of" … "Farm operations conducted in accordance with normal farm practices"
  - Source: [Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194, 2014 (consolidated), s. 6.6(a)](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/67409)
  - Official wording: "No person shall play or operate any radio, stereophonic equipment or other"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Who to call, business hours:** City Bylaw Services: phone the City Hall front desk at 250-392-2311, or visit the office at 230 Hodgson Rd, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The City asks for complaints in writing with your name, phone number and the address.
  - Source: [Bylaw Services, page](https://www.williamslake.ca/270/Bylaw-Services)
  - Official wording: "By phone at 250-392-2311" … "Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m." … "The name and phone number of the complainant must be provided" … "In person at our offices at 230 Hodgson Rd., Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Who to call, after hours:** Not confirmed. The City does not state an after-hours noise contact.
- **Fine:** Bylaw notice: $100 for noise that tends to disturb ($75 if paid within 14 days; $125 late). $500 for excessive noise ($450 early; $550 late). Construction noise outside permitted hours: $150 ($115 early; $190 late). Lawn equipment outside hours: $100.
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2196, 2013 (consolidated), Schedule A-20, Schedule A-20 / Noise offences, bylaw notice amounts](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/61839)
  - Official wording: "Noise which tends to" … "disturb" … "$100.00" … "Excessive Noise which" … "$500.00" … "$450.00" … "$550.00" … "in public Noise Regulations Failure to meet 6.4 $100.00 $75.00 $125.00 No conditions of operating a public mobile address system Noise which tends to 6.5 $100.00 $75.00 $125.00 No disturb BL2239 Excessive Noise which 6.5.3 $500.00 $450.00 $550.00 No"
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2196, 2013 (consolidated), Schedule A-20](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/61839)
  - Official wording: "prior to or after permitted hours Construction noise 6.6.1(e) $150.00 $115.00 $190.00 No outside of permitted hours"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194, 2014
  - Source: [Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194, 2014 (consolidated), s. 1.1](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/67409)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited as "City of Williams Lake Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194,"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

Part 6 of the [Good Neighbour Bylaw](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/67409) says no one may make or allow noise, on a street, in a public place or from property they own or occupy, that disturbs or tends to disturb the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort or convenience of people nearby. A higher-penalty offence applies where a bylaw officer or RCMP member deems the noise excessive. There are no decibel limits.

## Hours

- No general quiet hours: the bylaw sets no fixed hours for ordinary noise.
- Lawn and garden equipment: not allowed 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday to Friday, or 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
- Construction, repair, demolition, excavation or fill work that causes disturbing noise: not allowed before 7 a.m. or after 10 p.m. on any day. The Senior Building Inspector may grant an exemption for necessary work at set hours.
- Also covered: amplified sound that disturbs neighbours, animals or birds whose cries unduly disturb, mobile public address systems and boat exhausts.
- Exempt: emergency work, farm operations, household equipment and licensed trades in commercial or industrial zones.

## Steps

1. If it is safe, ask the neighbour first.
2. Otherwise phone City Hall at 250-392-2311 or visit the Bylaw Services office at 230 Hodgson Rd, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The City asks for complaints in writing with your name, phone number and the address.
3. The City does not state an after-hours noise contact.

## Good to know

- The City's web page on the bylaw says the restriction runs 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday to Friday and 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. on weekends and holidays. The bylaw text applies those hours to lawn and garden equipment, not all noise.
- The same page says construction for gain on Sunday is allowed from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. The bylaw sets 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, so check with the City.
- Bylaw notices: $100 for noise that tends to disturb ($75 if paid within 14 days; $125 if paid late); $500 for excessive noise ($450 early; $550 late); $150 for construction noise outside permitted hours ($115 early; $190 late); $100 for lawn equipment outside the hours.

## Official forms and pages

- [Good Neighbour Bylaw page](https://www.williamslake.ca/647/Good-Neighbour-Bylaw)
- [Good Neighbour Bylaw 2194, 2014 (consolidated, PDF)](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/67409)

## Related questions

- [Williams Lake bylaw fines and how tickets work](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/williams-lake/bylaw-fines.md)
- [Williams Lake unsightly property rules and how to report](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/williams-lake/unsightly-property.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Noise bylaws in British Columbia: quiet hours, construction hours and fines by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/noise-rules.md)
- [100 Mile House](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/100-mile-house/noise-rules.md)
- [Quesnel](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/quesnel/noise-rules.md)
- [Clearwater](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/clearwater/noise-rules.md)
- [Lillooet](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lillooet/noise-rules.md)
- [Ashcroft](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/ashcroft/noise-rules.md)
- [Barriere](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/barriere/noise-rules.md)

## Sources

- [Good Neighbour Bylaw, City of Williams Lake](https://www.williamslake.ca/647/Good-Neighbour-Bylaw) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194, 2014 (consolidated)](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/67409) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2196, 2013 (consolidated), Schedule A-20](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/61839) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Bylaw Services, City of Williams Lake](https://www.williamslake.ca/270/Bylaw-Services) (read 2026-11-05)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 8 facts was matched to the official text; 1 is recorded as not set; 1 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Williams Lake. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/williams-lake/noise-rules/_