Noise Walls

Noise Wall Requests

Noise wall petitions are subject to regulations set by the province. The Municipal Act, 2001 established Local Improvement Regulations which provide a mechanism for projects (such as noise walls) to be funded jointly by the municipality and the benefitting property owners (O. Reg. 586/06). Works administered under the Local Improvement Regulations can be initiated by municipal councils or begin with a request from the property owners.

The cost for new retrofit noise walls is split 50/50 between the affected homeowners and the City. For the replacement of existing noise walls, the City will cover 75% of the cost and the benefitting homeowners will cover the remaining 25%.

Noise wall requests that are initiated by residents follow the steps below:

Step 1 – A new or replacement noise wall request is submitted: Any property owner who lives adjacent to a City of Brampton road can request a noise wall under the Local Improvement Regulations. Requests can be made by calling 311 or emailing roads@brampton.ca. Noise wall requests will only be considered if a minimum of 3 properties can benefit from the proposed wall.

If the source of noise is from a Regional road, residents should contact the Region of Peel.
Step 2 – An informal petition is circulated: Public Works staff will review the request and provide the requester with a petition along with a location map and list of benefitting property owners. The requestor is responsible for collecting the signatures of benefiting property owners. At least 50% of the identified property owners must sign the informal petition for it to be successful.

The signed informal petition should be returned to the City Clerks Office for verification.
Step 3 – A noise assessment is conducted: If the informal petition is successful, the City of Brampton will conduct a noise study in the subject area. The noise study identifies if, and to what extent, noise attenuation measures (e.g. noise walls) are required.

Sound that is audible to the human ear is measured in decibels (dBA’s). To qualify for a noise wall in the area, the average noise level over a 16-hour period (7 am – 11pm) must be over 60 dBA. Noise measurements should be related to traffic and should not include unrelated noises such as air conditioning units, barking dogs or factory noise.
Step 4 – A formal petition is circulated: If an area qualifies for a noise wall, a formal petition will be prepared by the City and mailed to the benefitting property owners. The City may hold a public meeting to educate the benefiting homeowners on the local improvement process. The formal petition will include the noise study findings, approximate location of the noise wall and a cost estimate for the proposed noise wall.

To be successful, a formal petition requires that at least two-third’s of the benefiting property owners must sign in favour of the noise wall and collectively represent at least 50% of the assessed property value. Where two or more persons are jointly assessed for a lot, they collectively shall be treated as one owner only and a majority of them must sign for the petition for the signatures to be considered.

A successful formal petition for a noise wall will result in a charge being added to each property owner's tax bill for their share of the noise wall installation costs, regardless of whether that property owner supported the petition or not.

In the event that the formal petition is unsuccessful, new requests in the same area will be subject to a minimum waiting period of two (2) years from the date that the formal petition was declared unsuccessful.
Step 5 – Construction plans are approved by Council: If the formal petition is successful, staff will prepare a Council report recommending that a by-law to construct the noise wall be passed. The City Clerk’s Office will issue a public notice for the proposed by-law before it is considered by City Council. Upon Council approval, the project becomes a Local Improvement project.

The actual cost of the wall will be determined by the City of Brampton after substantially completing the construction. Each property owner’s share of the cost is based on the portion of the noise wall that will abut their property. The owner’s share of the noise wall cost can be paid upfront upon completion of the project or amortized over a 15-year period.