Building works hours in Valencia: until what time is noise allowed under the by-law

In Valencia, building and renovation works are allowed Monday to Saturday from 8:00 to 22:00 and on Sundays and public holidays from 9:30 to 22:00. This is set by article 31 of the Municipal By-law on Protection against Noise Pollution, in force since May 2023 and still current in 2026. Outside those hours only urgent works or works with an authorisation are allowed. Here's what changes when the works are inside your flat, what your owners' community can demand, how many decibels are allowed, what fine you could face, and why many websites quote hours that don't match the by-law.

Until what time can building works be done in Valencia?

Until 22:00 every day. The by-law distinguishes two cases. For construction, refurbishment and works with an impact on the public road (art. 31.1), hours are Monday to Saturday 8:00–22:00 and Sundays and public holidays 9:30–22:00. For works, repairs and renovations inside a home (art. 30), what is forbidden is the night period: Sunday to Thursday from 22:00 to 8:00, and Fridays, Saturdays and the eve of public holidays from 22:00 to 9:30 the next day. In practice they coincide: in the morning you can start at 8:00 on weekdays and at 9:30 on Sundays and holidays.

• Monday to Saturday: 8:00 to 22:00, both for building and public-road works (art. 31) and for renovations inside a home (art. 30).
• Sundays and public holidays: 9:30 to 22:00.
• Night: forbidden, except urgent works or with municipal authorisation.

Are works allowed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays?

Yes. Saturday counts as a working day for noise purposes: 8:00 to 22:00. Sundays and public holidays are also allowed, but only from 9:30 to 22:00 (art. 31.1). Neither article bans weekend works; what can ban them are the statutes of your owners' community or the contract with the renovation company. At Build Valencia the working hours are set in the contract and adapted to the rules of each building's community.

Is there a siesta or midday break for works in Valencia?

No. Unlike some municipalities, Valencia's by-law doesn't set a compulsory midday pause: the allowed period runs continuously from 8:00 to 22:00. The only protected period is the night (art. 30 and 31). Custom is another matter: some communities set a midday pause for noisy works in their internal rules, and it's common to agree one with the neighbours when starting a full renovation.

Why do other websites say works end at 20:00 or that Sundays are forbidden?

Because they mix rules from other cities or from national law with Valencia's by-law. It's common to read "8:00 to 20:00", "Saturdays 9:00 to 14:00" or "Sundays forbidden": those hours exist in other municipalities' by-laws, but not in Valencia's, whose article 31 allows working until 22:00 every day and from 9:30 on Sundays. If you live in Paterna, Torrent, Mislata or any municipality of the metropolitan area, check its own by-law: each council sets its own. And if a website doesn't cite the article number, be wary.

How many decibels can building works make? By-law limits

In construction and public-road works no machinery exceeding 90 dBA maximum level may be used, measured on the public road five metres from the site perimeter (art. 32.1). If that level has to be exceeded for technical reasons — for example a hydraulic breaker to demolish a slab — prior municipal authorisation is needed and it is only granted for a window between 10:00 and 18:00 (art. 32.2). Machinery must comply with noise-emission regulations (art. 31.4) and the person responsible for the works must reduce the nuisance as far as possible (art. 31.5).

Inside a home there is no decibel limit per tool: what applies is the night ban of art. 30 and the reception limits in the neighbour's flat, set by Law 7/2002 of the Generalitat Valenciana (annex II): 40 dBA by day and 30 at night in bedrooms and living rooms, 45/35 in kitchens, corridors and bathrooms, and 50/40 in the building's common areas. An angle grinder or a hammer drill in the flat next door easily exceeds those values; that's why the hours matter more than the tool.

What working hours apply in an owners' community?

The by-law's as a maximum, and the community's statutes if they are stricter. The community can't extend municipal hours, but it can reduce them in its statutes or internal rules: ban Saturday works, set a midday break or limit the use of the lift for rubble. The Horizontal Property Act (art. 7.2) also allows the community to act against annoying activities even within legal hours, if the noise is repeated and excessive. Before starting a full renovation in Valencia it's worth asking the administrator for the rules in writing, notifying the neighbours with the start and end dates, and protecting the common areas.

What is the fine for working outside hours in Valencia?

Between €60 and €60,000. The by-law classifies infringements as minor, serious or very serious (arts. 70–73) and refers the amounts to Law 7/2002 of the Generalitat Valenciana, whose article 58 sets: minor €60 to €600, serious €601 to €6,000 and very serious €6,001 to €60,000, with temporary or permanent withdrawal of the licence in serious and very serious cases. Whether works outside hours are minor or serious depends on how many decibels are exceeded and whether there is repeat offending. The complaint is handled by the Local Police (092) after measuring the noise, and the infringement follows the by-law's sanctioning procedure.

Can you get permission to work at night or outside hours?

Yes, in three cases. First, urgent works or works for reasons of necessity or danger, which don't need prior authorisation (art. 31.3): a water leak, a collapse, a burnt-out electrical board. Second, works that by their nature can't be done in daytime — typically on the public road or in premises that can't close during the day — with municipal authorisation. Third, exceeding 90 dBA with machinery, with prior authorisation and only from 10:00 to 18:00 (art. 32.2). For a commercial unit renovation that wants to open as soon as possible, the realistic route isn't working at night but planning: demolition and chasing in the first days, and the quiet works (plasterboard, painting, installations) afterwards.

How to organise renovation hours to avoid problems with the neighbours

With three decisions before starting. First: set the working hours in the contract together with the price and the deadline, within the margin of the by-law and the community's rules. Second: concentrate the noisiest works — demolition, chasing, cutting porcelain — in the first days and in the middle of the day, and notify the neighbours before starting with the start and end dates. Third: where the project allows it, replace wet works with plasterboard partitions and ceilings, which are fitted with less noise and dust. At Build Valencia the price, the deadline and the working hours of the renovation are fixed by contract; ask for a quote and we'll set them out in writing.

Frequently asked questions

What do I do if a neighbour is doing works outside hours?

Talk to them first and to the administrator; if it continues, call the Local Police (092) so they measure and record it, and keep dates and times. With repeated records the community can act under art. 7.2 of the Horizontal Property Act.

Are works allowed in August or during Fallas in Valencia?

Yes. The by-law sets no seasonal restriction on works, neither in August nor during Fallas; only the general hours apply. Some communities do limit summer works in their statutes.

What time can I start drilling at home on a Sunday?

At 9:30, and until 22:00. On weekdays and Saturdays, from 8:00 (art. 30 and 31 of the by-law).

Do I need a permit for works within the allowed hours?

Hours and permits are different things: keeping to the hours doesn't replace the responsible declaration or building permit, which depend on the type of renovation. We explain it in our guide to building permit or responsible declaration in Valencia.