How early is too early to work outside?

[Rich Engelhardt]

I have quite a bit of routing I want to get done.
I usually roll my router table out into the driveway to use it.

I don't want to cause a neighborhood disturbance with the whine, but, I also don't want to get stuck out in the direct sun in the heat of the day (temperature is forecast to be near 90* today) with sweat running into my eyes.

Is 9:00am too early to work outside?

I'm only asking because the two closest neighbors are new. I had my old neighbor's schedules worked out pretty well, but, they moved out.

[Art Mann]

Nine sounds quite reasonable to me.

[Justin Ludwig]

While recently visiting Manhattan Beach, California (one of the richest towns per capita), I took notice of all the home construction in progress (there is no recession in this town!) Ordnance for this area was: M-F 0800-1700, Sat 0900-1600, Sun work prohibited.

If your neighborhood has an ordnance, I'll follow theirs first. Get to work!

[Erik Loza]

The contractors who did our house started at 7:00AM. I always assumed that was the sort of standard.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Charles Lent]

I have started at 7 on weekdays with no complaints from the neighbors, but my neighbors are several hundred feet away. In a housing development with houses much closer you may need to start later. On Sundays I wait until 11 if I work at all.

Charley

[Wade Lippman]

I would ask my neighbors.

My neighbors let their dog, who is probably about as loud as a router, each day at 7:30. After a brief conversation they let him out at 9 now.
Their daughters love our dog. Go figure.

[Chris Fournier]

I don't have an answer for you but I am sure that anyone asking this question as you have will do the right thing! Routers are pretty annoying but I enjoy hearing the symphony of other people working.

[Matt Day]

Ask the new neighbors, and introduce yourself. It will show you care about being a respectful neighbor.

[Keith Hankins]

I think it depends on your neighbors. I had a neighbor call the police because I left with my Harley to go to work (and it is completely street legal). I wish they had come and just talked to me. So for that kind of neighbor 4AM is great.

[Glenn Howard]

In my opinion, there are two sides to being a good neighbor. Number 1, you want to try to be considerate of others, and when it comes to noise, you need to do just what you're doing, and be sensitive to what may bother them. Number 2, you don't want to be the kind of neighbor who complains about every little thing. Unless you live somewhere in the country with acres between houses, we're going to annoy one another from time to time.

In my (suburban) neighborhood, my immediate next door neighbors have two adult kids (18-21) who live with them, and they both have those ridiculous bumble bee mufflers on their cars. So when they head out at 6 or 7 am, or roll in well after midnight, it wakes us up. In my mind, they're being rude. Anything that makes a vehicle louder than it needs to be for normal operation should be illegal. But we don't complain about it because we don't want to be "those neighbors."

We also have neighbors across the street and three houses up who have own their own lawn care/mowing service. They have three teenage sons who help, two big, louder than they need to be trucks, two trailers for transporting their mowers, etc. Their yard looks like a junk yard, they have their trucks and trailers blocking portions of the street fairly frequently. In my mind, if they're going to run that kind of business, they should either pay to store their equipment elsewhere, or live somewhere out in the country where they would have more land and would be less irritating to neighbors. The suburbs is no place for what they do. Again, we don't complain because we don't want to be "those neighbors."

Neighbors on both sides of us have parties at least once a month that last well past midnight and are rather loud. Again, we don't complain.

From my end, on the weekends, I don't mow or use any loud machinery before nine am or after ten pm. On weekdays, again, nothing before nine am and nothing later than nine pm. I think those times are reasonable.

But as others have suggested, find out what the laws are in your area, talk to your neighbors to find out how they feel about it, and if you're going to be noisy from time to time, be sure to be tolerant of the noises that others make as well.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Nine o'clock sounds more than reasonable. I would talk with the neighbors and also check to see if there is a local noise ordinance. I've been told there is a local noise ordinance that limits noises prior to 0700.

[glenn bradley]

I start at 7am or whenever I hear the first yard machine (which is often earlier). If you live in a neighborhood where people sleep in versus have things to get done early, you will have to adjust.

[Sam Murdoch]

Nine sounds quite reasonable to me.

To me too! Nice of you to care enough to ask. In our neighborhood we have come to recognize 7AM as the start point. Lawnmowers, chain saws, leaf blowers and all kinds of construction noises start just after 7. The lobster boats in the bay are making lots more diesel noise (amazing how loud they can be) as early as 4AM in the summer.

If you are "running a business" out of your home that is not in compliance with local codes be very careful about asking permission or aggravating neighbors in any way that can be attributed to your "business". Some neighbors just aren't neighborly. You can make stuff for yourself and none can argue, but the home based business thing can be a bit dicey with the wrong folks next door. Just sayin'.

Lots of great answers above.

[Jason Roehl]

I would say 7 AM on weekends is too early, and certainly at the early limit on weekdays. 7:30-8AM should be considered normal during the week, and I would prefer not before 9 on weekends, but really wouldn't complain about 8 AM on weekends. I'd more than likely already be up at any of those times, but I do like some peace and quiet since I'm in construction and likely to be around the noise during the week. I think if anyone complains about a router at 9 AM on a Saturday needs to get over themselves.

[ray hampton]

do the neighbors work the night shift ?