How Early Can Lawn Mowers start?

[Finchs]

I just had a confrontation with my neighbor's lawn company and wonder what recourse- if any- we have with them waking us up at 7 AM every week with an extremely loud mower. I thought they were supposed to wait until 8 AM to start, but the guy told me 7 AM was the allowable time. Is he right?
Also, I am sure he has taken off any muffler that came with the machine, none of the other lawn services around us are as loud as this one. Is there a decible level threshhold that is considered an upper limit? :boxing2:

[graciegirl]

I just had a confrontation with my neighbor's lawn company and wonder what recourse- if any- we have with them waking us up at 7 AM every week with an extremely loud mower. I thought they were supposed to wait until 8 AM to start, but the guy told me 7 AM was the allowable time. Is he right?
Also, I am sure he has taken off any muffler that came with the machine, none of the other lawn services around us are as loud as this one. Is there a decible level threshhold that is considered an upper limit? :boxing2:



They are allowed to mow at seven. Some of us are born larks and some of us are born night owls. I see you like birds.

[Stu from NYC]

My neighborhood the mowing will start about 7 30 but not many that early.

[davem4616]

7am may seem early to us now that we're retired....but it wasn't too long ago that we were getting ready for work and leaving the house around that time to go to our climate controlled work places.

It was only 80 degrees this morning at 6am...most days it's already in the mid 80's at that time. If I was working outside in this heat, I'd want to start as early as possible too.

I can't even imagine how these roofers do it down here in this heat

[blueash]

Sumter County has regulations on noise (https://library.municode.com/fl/sumter_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COCO_CH16MIPROF_ARTVINOC O_S16-107PRNODI). Here are the operative paragraphs:

The following specified acts and circumstances are hereby declared to constitute prohibited noise disturbances in residential areas

(4)Maintenance operations. Operation of equipment associated with the following activities between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 am.: lawn care; soil cultivation; irrigation maintenance; night landscaping; maintenance of trees, hedges and gardens; the use of lawn mowers, saws, and tractors; tree trimming and limb clipping.

(5)Residential addition and renovation construction. All residential additions and renovation construction for which the county has issued a development permit, provided such activity does not occur between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

but the guy told me 7 AM was the allowable time. Is he right?

He was wrong. Starting at 7 AM potentially gave you an extra hour of sleep.

[vintageogauge]

I always thought it was 6:00 AM until 9:00 PM they might start that early in June when there is an early sunrise but now it's still dark at 6:00. I would ask them to repair the muffler, they might listen to you and again they might not.

[npwalters]

7am may seem early to us now that we're retired....but it wasn't too long ago that we were getting ready for work and leaving the house around that time to go to our climate controlled work places.

It was only 80 degrees this morning at 6am...most days it's already in the mid 80's at that time. If I was working outside in this heat, I'd want to start as early as possible too.

I can't even imagine how these roofers do it down here in this heat

What he said.

[Dana1963]

Good thing you don’t live on golf course especial the greens

[EdFNJ]

Ooops, see this was already quoted in post #5. Duplicate.







From the secret unmentionable site:

Sumter County commissioners vote to toughen noise ordinance
October 11, 2016
Marv Balousek

Sumter County commissioners voted Tuesday night to toughen the county noise ordinance, even though it already prohibited moonlight landscaping.

The existing ordinance barred landscaping, including lawn mowing and tree trimming, between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.

County Administrator Bradley Arnold said the revised ordinance focuses on residential areas.

I assume local external deed restrictions can override this.

[Topspinmo]

I always thought it was 6:00 AM until 9:00 PM they might start that early in June when there is an early sunrise but now it's still dark at 6:00. I would ask them to repair the muffler, they might listen to you and again they might not.

Some take the mufflers apart and remove the baffles, think it will make the equipment run better. And some have rotted out. Either way there should be limit to noise coming out of internal combustion engine. O the Horror !!!!! What would HD owners do? :)

[Topspinmo]

Ooops, see this was already quoted in post #5. Duplicate.







From the secret unmentionable site:



I assume local external deed restrictions can override this.

Not likely if you live in that county or city. But who’s going to monitor it? Nobody

[Topspinmo]

Good thing you don’t live on golf course especial the greens

Golf course equipment are a lot quieter. All I hear little low vibration rumbling sound and if sound asleep nothing.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

7am may seem early to us now that we're retired....but it wasn't too long ago that we were getting ready for work and leaving the house around that time to go to our climate controlled work places.

It was only 80 degrees this morning at 6am...most days it's already in the mid 80's at that time. If I was working outside in this heat, I'd want to start as early as possible too.

I can't even imagine how these roofers do it down here in this heat

It wasn't too long ago that we lived in a normal suburb where most households mowed their own lawns (other than hiring neighborhood kids), and no one would dare start loud machines before 8AM. Mowing occurred on weekends if in the morning, or after supper/before 8pm on weeknights.

Whether it was allowed or not, that was the polite thing to do. We mow our own lawn in the Villages and don't start the mower til 8.

[J1ceasar]

One more thing you didn't think of when you moved to the Villages hey. We used to live at the plantation on a block with 49 homes. We have 49 grass cutters cut it up each on a different day of the week it was never ever quiet. I bet next time you move somewhere that will be the first thing you check out. If it bothers you so much I suggest in all honesty sell your home and please move to Pennbrooke Fairways where we have Community mowing and you'll probably never be disturbed because each block is done once a week by the same company and very rarely will you be disturbed that early in the morning. As the tuna fish commercial said Quotev Sorry Charlie"

[ithos]

There are sounds such as brown noise or white noise that are helpful to mask unwanted noises. It is great for snoring partners too. There are examples on youtube.

[Alana33]

I'm surprised you didn't just ask your neighbor if they would mind having their lawn service come at 8 instead of 7 AM instead of the lawn service guy.

[Girlcopper]

I just had a confrontation with my neighbor's lawn company and wonder what recourse- if any- we have with them waking us up at 7 AM every week with an extremely loud mower. I thought they were supposed to wait until 8 AM to start, but the guy told me 7 AM was the allowable time. Is he right?
Also, I am sure he has taken off any muffler that came with the machine, none of the other lawn services around us are as loud as this one. Is there a decible level threshhold that is considered an upper limit? :boxing2:
Ok. Heres a guy that is probably counting his blessings that he still has a job and income during this pandemic and is working his butt off in the heat to put food on his table and pay his bills. Many of us are lucky and are retired with enough money saved or monthly pensions so we dont have to worry where our next meal is coming from. Hes not out robbing banks or mugging people. He has a legit manual labor job. I think instead of complaining about noise, we should be asking him if he would like a bottle of water. The lawn maintenance people are the ones who keep our neighborhoods looking good. A little noise at 7am which isnt an ungodly early hour and is within the guidelines can be tolerated on certain days. Theres more important things to complain about than a loud lawnmower

[DavidStockhausen]

Golf course mowers start at 6

[B-flat]

Ok. Heres a guy that is probably counting his blessings that he still has a job and income during this pandemic and is working his butt off in the heat to put food on his table and pay his bills. Many of us are lucky and are retired with enough money saved or monthly pensions so we dont have to worry where our next meal is coming from. Hes not out robbing banks or mugging people. He has a legit manual labor job. I think instead of complaining about noise, we should be asking him if he would like a bottle of water. The lawn maintenance people are the ones who keep our neighborhoods looking good. A little noise at 7am which isnt an ungodly early hour and is within the guidelines can be tolerated on certain days. Theres more important things to complain about than a loud lawnmower

Plus 1!

[traveler9]

I just had a confrontation with my neighbor's lawn company and wonder what recourse- if any- we have with them waking us up at 7 AM every week with an extremely loud mower. I thought they were supposed to wait until 8 AM to start, but the guy told me 7 AM was the allowable time. Is he right?
Also, I am sure he has taken off any muffler that came with the machine, none of the other lawn services around us are as loud as this one. Is there a decible level threshhold that is considered an upper limit? :boxing2:
7 AM unfortunately is the time they can start. I hate it too Wear earplugs and it will dull the sound.

[Ndomines]

I just had a confrontation with my neighbor's lawn company and wonder what recourse- if any- we have with them waking us up at 7 AM every week with an extremely loud mower. I thought they were supposed to wait until 8 AM to start, but the guy told me 7 AM was the allowable time. Is he right?
Also, I am sure he has taken off any muffler that came with the machine, none of the other lawn services around us are as loud as this one. Is there a decible level threshhold that is considered an upper limit? :boxing2:
Lawn mowing everyday!

[xcaligirl]

I SO agree!! I feel bad for the landscapers/lawn service guys but really feel for the roofers/pool installers! Just hope they are drinking enough water. These guys are just trying to make a living, working hard, battling the heat, I appreciate them keeping personal yards looking good and the Villages looking great with all the flowers, trimming, weeding, list could on forever!

[peggyb]

We put a box fan in our room and turn it on for white noise. We weren’t used to living with houses so close together and the noises that came with that, such as landscapers, vehicles, as well as the early trash pickup. It really helps.

[Shamp]

Can you ask your neighbor to ask them to come later? It would be so nice if communities got together, selected one company and got it all knocked out in one day! THAT would be the day I'd be running my errands and hanging out at the pool!

[skip0358]

If you've ever worked outside especially in the Summer 7AM is not to early to start period. One day a week to be woken up a little early is no big deal believe me. Been there done that. By noon time it's so damn hot you can hardly breath. This is as bad as the post a while back from the guy complaining about the roofers start to early because they were waking him up! Try a day in those workers shoes! Geeze

[giorgio1948]

It wasn't too long ago that we lived in a normal suburb where most households mowed their own lawns (other than hiring neighborhood kids), and no one would dare start loud machines before 8AM. Mowing occurred on weekends if in the morning, or after supper/before 8pm on weeknights.

Whether it was allowed or not, that was the polite thing to do. We mow our own lawn in the Villages and don't start the mower til 8.
I would say that we're lucky just waking up for another day!!

[Two Bills]

I need a hearing aid as I am profoundly deaf.
When they are not being used, the massed pipes and drums of the Highland Division would not disturb me, let alone a souped up lawn mower.
There are some advantages for being Mutt'n'Jeff.:icon_wink:

[Topspinmo]

If you've ever worked outside especially in the Summer 7AM is not to early to start period. One day a week to be woken up a little early is no big deal believe me. Been there done that. By noon time it's so damn hot you can hardly breath. This is as bad as the post a while back from the guy complaining about the roofers start to early because they were waking him up! Try a day in those workers shoes! Geeze

I’ve been programmed to wake up at 5AM for 48 years, I can’t sleep pass 7am even if I say up to 4am.:shocked:

[kendi]

I just had a confrontation with my neighbor's lawn company and wonder what recourse- if any- we have with them waking us up at 7 AM every week with an extremely loud mower. I thought they were supposed to wait until 8 AM to start, but the guy told me 7 AM was the allowable time. Is he right?
Also, I am sure he has taken off any muffler that came with the machine, none of the other lawn services around us are as loud as this one. Is there a decible level threshhold that is considered an upper limit? :boxing2:

They start before daylight on the golf courses.

[davephan]

Maybe you could change your schedule, and go to bed early, like probably most of the older people? Then, you could go outside and do things in the summertime before it gets too hot?

I have a bad habit of staying up late, till or after midnight. I had that same bad habit when I was still working over two years ago, when I had to wake up for work at 4:30 AM. I was tired at work, walking around like a zombie!

Now, after I retired, I still stay up past midnight, but I get a lot more rest, and feel well rested everyday, waking up at 8 or 9 AM. I could sleep even later, but the sunlight through the window blinds keeps waking me up earlier.

I used to work 3rd shift decades ago, and I had total darkness blinds in the old house, so I could sleep in the middle of the day. But sometimes the neighbors lawn mowing woke me up.

It’s not easy to change your bedtime and wake up time, but I think your overall quality of life would be better if your schedule followed the daylight schedule. You can always record TV shows that are on late at night, and then you can watch them the next day, plus skip the commercials.

It’s hard to break the bad habit of staying up too late, and waking up late in my retirement years. But I’m still working on changing my sleeping schedule. I want to be able to wake up much earlier, so that I can do stuff outside, after we move or start snowbirding in Florida. Sleeping late really wastes good days, when you could be doing stuff outside before it’s too hot.

[Dilligas]

We put a box fan in our room and turn it on for white noise. We weren’t used to living with houses so close together and the noises that came with that, such as landscapers, vehicles, as well as the early trash pickup. It really helps.
Those who have the amazon 'alexa' can request 'white noise' be played while you sleep. It comes in various sounds like, ocean waves, rain fall, thunder storm, babling brook, etc.

[Stu from NYC]

The wife and I like fresh eggs so we are in the process of putting in a small chicken coop.

Will be getting a couple of roosters for our herd and wonder what time they are allowed to wake up the neighborhood?

Will also be getting an invisible fence so they do not wander around bothering our neighbors.

[Indydealmaker]

Ooops, see this was already quoted in post #5. Duplicate.







From the secret unmentionable site:



I assume local external deed restrictions can override this.
Of which, there are none.

[kathy1516]

Yeah it gets really annoying. Don't know why they can’t come between 5pm and dark. What’s even more annoying is the bush and tree trimmers with their hours of buzzing beginning at dawn. No respect for old people!

[rmd2]

Maybe you could change your schedule, and go to bed early, like probably most of the older people? Then, you could go outside and do things in the summertime before it gets too hot?

I have a bad habit of staying up late, till or after midnight. I had that same bad habit when I was still working over two years ago, when I had to wake up for work at 4:30 AM. I was tired at work, walking around like a zombie!

Now, after I retired, I still stay up past midnight, but I get a lot more rest, and feel well rested everyday, waking up at 8 or 9 AM. I could sleep even later, but the sunlight through the window blinds keeps waking me up earlier.

I used to work 3rd shift decades ago, and I had total darkness blinds in the old house, so I could sleep in the middle of the day. But sometimes the neighbors lawn mowing woke me up.

It’s not easy to change your bedtime and wake up time, but I think your overall quality of life would be better if your schedule followed the daylight schedule. You can always record TV shows that are on late at night, and then you can watch them the next day, plus skip the commercials.

It’s hard to break the bad habit of staying up too late, and waking up late in my retirement years. But I’m still working on changing my sleeping schedule. I want to be able to wake up much earlier, so that I can do stuff outside, after we move or start snowbirding in Florida. Sleeping late really wastes good days, when you could be doing stuff outside before it’s too hot.

This is me TOO. I wonder how many other people have unusual sleep times.

[jimjamuser]

There are sounds such as brown noise or white noise that are helpful to mask unwanted noises. It is great for snoring partners too. There are examples on youtube.
I lived in Arizona where thay had a better solution - called Zero-scaping. You eliminate grass altogether or partially using very aesthetically pleasing colored rocks. There are even advantages over grass lawns besides expensive labor, less or zero fuel usage, improved noise prevention and much less fertilizer runoff into the water table. I never tested this idea - but lawnmowers, especially the monster professional tractor sized ones used in TV PROBABLY have zero catalytic converters to lessen air pollution, which causes that bug-aboo Global Warming - which many people are pretending has gone away just because it is not in the news recently. I would imagine that these lawnmower tank-like tractors give off about the same or more pollution than newer cars. Other advantages of rock lawns are they are more unique than boring same-same lawns. They can often be beautiful and colorful. They save water (your water bill) and no or less sprinklers - less fertilizer expense - less allergy-causing grass pollen. You can devote more yard space to trees which dampen neighborhood noise and are better at eliminating carbon dioxide and producing oxygen than grass lawns. Finally, trees will block the dangerous winds from hurricanes, grass won't. And trees provide shade and lower temperature that grass NEVER can. Think about it!

[Fenster]

Sumter County has regulations on noise (https://library.municode.com/fl/sumter_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COCO_CH16MIPROF_ARTVINOC O_S16-107PRNODI). Here are the operative paragraphs:





He was wrong. Starting at 7 AM potentially gave you an extra hour of sleep.

Thanks for the info!

[patfla06]

I am a very deep sleeper but the mowers even wake me up. Fortunately I usually go right back.
For light sleepers I would imagine they don’t get back to sleep.

We have neighbors that had landscaping, pavers and patios with pavers put in. I swear the work took 6 months. Being woken every morning to pounding and cutting pavers was annoying.
I still have no idea why it took so long!

Waking up by loud mowers etc. is not a fun way to start the day.

[jimjamuser]

Wa wa wa, just roll over and go to sleep. The lawn people are hard working decent people that do NOT seek nor want to have a confrontation with anyone. Most have a family with kids. Perhaps you would rather see them collect unemployment and leave you to do your own lawn.
Actually, there are MANY home robberies in TV land, it is not as crime free as most people believe. Some of your wonderful day workers know which homes have people gone on trips or for the summer, then THEY ( or other robbers that pay for a tip-off) come back at night and BREAK IN. Happened to us ----- BEWARE!!!!!

[Worldseries27]

Ask your neighbor to get another mowing company and offer to pay the difference if any. Then you'll see if they are really " neighbors"
otherwise take it to the supreme court

[KRM0614]

Conversely why do my neighbors start mowing at 8:30 at night ? They are retired in their late 70s and are out and about playing hall monitor to everyone’s lawn and landscaping. If there are set rules by the HOA basic things like this should be in written form to new residents.

[Indydealmaker]

Conversely why do my neighbors start mowing at 8:30 at night ? They are retired in their late 70s and are out and about playing hall monitor to everyone’s lawn and landscaping. If there are set rules by the HOA basic things like this should be in written form to new residents.
What HOA are you talking about?
Quite often seniors start working outside either very early or very late to avoid the heat.

[TomPerrett]

Put a pillow over your head

[Red Rose]

Ear plugs would come in mighty handy too.

[TZamora]

I bet the guy know sbetter when they are allowed to start :) Do not think you are the first one wanting to talk to him. Hopefully my neightbour cuts grass with a hedge trimmer and that's not that loud, we got echo (https://www.backyardstyle.com/best-gas-hedge-trimmer/) for shrubs, not the worst choice. I tried it once when got some issue with my lawn mower
Ear plugs won't help and as for me I get a headache every time I use them. Guess, that's how my body reacts to the times I was working on the rig