DIY and construction noise is different from music: some of it is lawful. The question is whether it's unreasonable — the wrong hours, excessive duration, or with no end in sight. Many councils set permitted hours for noisy works, and going outside them strengthens your case.
What counts against them
- Work outside your council's permitted hours (often before 8am or after 6pm, and restricted on Sundays).
- Weeks or months of daily heavy noise with no completion date.
- Impact on your ability to work from home, sleep or rest.
Log the dates, times and type of work. The free check scores it.
Making it stop
The pack's Case Toolkit builds the record and the letters, and the Section 82 route is there if the council won't act.
Common questions
Are there legal hours for DIY and construction noise?
Most councils set permitted hours for noisy works and can restrict them. Noise outside those hours, or that's simply excessive, can be a statutory nuisance.
The work has gone on for months — is that a nuisance?
Duration matters. Ongoing heavy noise with no end date is exactly the kind of case the council — or a Section 82 action — can address.
