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

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

Williams Lake, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-05

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.).

Key facts

General ruleNo 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.Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194, 2014 (consolidated), s. 6.5.1; Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194, 2014 (consolidated), s. 6.5.2 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
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,
No person being the owner, occupier or tenant of Real Property shall allow or permit
Quiet hoursNone set. Williams Lake's Good Neighbour Bylaw sets no fixed quiet hours for ordinary noise.
Construction hoursConstruction, 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.Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194, 2014 (consolidated), s. 6.6(e); Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194, 2014 (consolidated), s. 6.3.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
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
the Senior Building Inspector may grant an exemption to carry out work that is found to be necessary
Other limitsLawn 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.Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194, 2014 (consolidated), s. 6.6(d); Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194, 2014 (consolidated), s. 6.6(c); Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194, 2014 (consolidated), s. 6.2.1; Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194, 2014 (consolidated), s. 6.6(a) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
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
no person shall own, keep or harbour any
Performing works of an emergency nature for the preservation or protection of
Farm operations conducted in accordance with normal farm practices
No person shall play or operate any radio, stereophonic equipment or other
Who to call, business hoursCity 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.Bylaw Services, page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
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.
Who to call, after hoursNot confirmed. The City does not state an after-hours noise contact.
FineBylaw 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.Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2196, 2013 (consolidated), Schedule A-20, Schedule A-20 / Noise offences, bylaw notice amounts; Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2196, 2013 (consolidated), Schedule A-20 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
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
prior to or after permitted hours Construction noise 6.6.1(e) $150.00 $115.00 $190.00 No outside of permitted hours
BylawGood Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194, 2014Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194, 2014 (consolidated), s. 1.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
This Bylaw may be cited as "City of Williams Lake Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194,

How it works

Part 6 of the Good Neighbour Bylaw 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

The same question in other places

100 Mile House · Quesnel · Clearwater · Lillooet · Ashcroft · Barriere

Noise bylaws in British Columbia: quiet hours, construction hours and fines by municipality →

Sources

  1. Good Neighbour Bylaw, City of Williams Lake (read 2026-11-05)
  2. Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2194, 2014 (consolidated) (read 2026-11-05)
  3. Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2196, 2013 (consolidated), Schedule A-20 (read 2026-11-05)
  4. Bylaw Services, City of Williams Lake (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. How answers are checked.