VANCOUVER, B.C. - The Independent Contractors and Business Association (ICBA), representing over 4,500 construction employers and hundreds of thousands of tradespeople, has issued a call to action for British Columbia municipalities to modernize their construction noise bylaws. The organization contends that current restrictive and inconsistent bylaws across the province are impeding progress on essential housing and infrastructure projects, leading to delays and heightened expenses.
Jordan Bateman, writing for the ICBA, highlighted that a generation after B.C. overturned the ban on Sunday shopping, many local construction noise bylaws still treat Sundays and various non-statutory holidays as prohibitive workdays, akin to practices from 1985. This approach, he argues, is counterproductive amidst a provincial construction affordability crisis.
To address these concerns, the ICBA has proposed five key best practices for a modern noise bylaw:
1. Adopt the B.C. Government’s statutory holiday list by reference: This ensures bylaws remain current with provincial updates and eliminates inconsistencies between neighboring municipalities.
2. Allow Sunday and statutory holiday construction with later start times: Suggesting a 9 a.m. or 10 a.m. start, similar to existing approaches in Abbotsford, Squamish, and Whistler, would provide quiet mornings for residents while keeping projects on schedule.
3. Tie time-of-day restrictions to a noise threshold, not just the clock: The ICBA recommends that if measurable noise at the nearest residential property line is below 70 dBA (quieter than a normal dishwasher), time restrictions should not apply. This would allow for flexibility in remote sites, indoor finishing work, and projects far from residential areas.
4. Keep the homeowner ‘Do-It-Yourself’ exception: Residents should continue to be permitted to work on their own property within reasonable hours.
5. Maintain standard exemptions for emergencies and continuous works: Critical activities like concrete pours and emergency repairs, which cannot reasonably be stopped, should remain permitted.
The ICBA points to municipalities like Abbotsford, Squamish, and Whistler as examples of jurisdictions already implementing more flexible and effective noise bylaws. Abbotsford allows construction from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mon-Sat and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays/Holidays. Squamish permits work Mon-Fri 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sat 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sun/Hol 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Whistler's hours are Mon-Sat 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sun/Hol 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The association emphasizes that every lost day on a construction site translates into increased general conditions costs, financing carry, and lost wages, ultimately inflating housing prices. Furthermore, overly restrictive bylaws affect municipal capital projects, making public infrastructure slower and more expensive for taxpayers. The ICBA is advocating for clearer, more consistent rules that align with contemporary life in British Columbia.