For many workers, the weekend (and especially Sunday) means sleeping in.

But it is sometimes without counting on your neighbor, determined to cut his hedges or to draw the drill in the morning, thus disturbing your precious sleep.

If everyone has the right to tinker with or to garden at home, it is nevertheless necessary to respect certain schedules.

Loud and repeated noise

Saw, drill, mower, brush cutter or even hammer blows, all these tools are a delight for handymen and gardeners, but not always that of their neighbors ... While it is not forbidden to carry out work at home, l excess noise, on the other hand, is sanctioned by the Public Health Code for day and night noise.

Indeed, "no particular noise must, by its duration, its repetition or its intensity, affect the tranquility of the neighborhood or the health of man" (article R. 1 334-31).

So, no matter what the circumstances and the time of day or night, you can get into trouble if the fuss is incessant and excessive.

The power of local communities

This is the reason why there are very specific times during which DIY is tolerated. The law has delegated to local communities the power to set the time slots where the use of tools is allowed. In principle, therefore, municipal or prefectural decrees establish the rules. This is why it is better to inquire directly with your town hall. Consulting the co-ownership regulations can also be useful, as they can set their own time slots. Very often, they are moreover more strict than those envisaged by the municipality.

But, in a very general way, the municipalities determine these hours based on the opinion issued by the National Noise Council which recommends authorizing DIY activities from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. during the week, as well as from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays.

Finally, for late risers, noise pollution is only allowed from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sundays and on public holidays.

What sanctions?

For DIY enthusiasts who do not care about these regulations, know that they come with penalties.

As soon as the noise is repeated and it undermines the tranquility of the neighborhood, the offense can be noted by the municipal police.

In this case, the offender is exposed to an immediate fixed fine of 68 euros and 180 euros if it is increased.

If he does not comply, he may be prosecuted with the risk of a third class fine of up to 450 euros.

The law has also provided for an additional sanction which consists in the confiscation of the disputed object ... In practice, however, it is very rare that neighborhood disturbances reach such extremes.

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