Vale of White Horse District Council
Abbey House, Abbey Close,
Abingdon, OX14 3JE
Email: comments@whitehorsedc.gov.uk
Telephone: 01235 520202

Vale of White Horse District Council

DIY activities

Most people have jobs which need doing around the home, especially if they have just moved in, or are redecorating.  Often because people work, these jobs have to be done in the evenings and at weekends.

However there are certain things that people can do to minimise the noise they make when doing DIY or decorating. We would also recommend that people keep noisy activities to reasonable hours.

• Use of hand tools including hammers and saws
• Use of power tools including drills, saws and sanders
• Work on walls and floors between adjoining properties  

Reasonable hours for carrying out these activities include:     

• Weekdays - 9am to 7pm
• Saturdays - 9am to 5pm
• Sundays - 10am to 2pm

Please note these times are not legal limits, but are suggested as a sensible approach. It can also be very helpful to talk to your neighbours first before you start any DIY work. 

Other tips for minimising DIY noise:

• Sometimes the more powerful equipment will actually help solve the noise problem and do the job faster.  
• There is nothing worse than someone using an old piece of machinery that cannot cope with the job. It makes far more noise, and the job will often take much longer, than if you had the correctly maintained equipment.  
• If listening to the radio or stereo when doing DIY please keep the volume down, especially in the evenings.

The Environmental Protection Team can take action if noise from DIY activities is found to be causing a nuisance. See How to complain to the Council about noise nuisance and What the Council can do about noise nuisance for more information.