How Early Is Too Early To Start Mowing The Lawn On Weekends? Block Talk

Starting the lawn mower early on weekend mornings can cause tension in neighborhoods, but there may be good reasons for getting the task out of the way when some neighbors are still sleeping.

It’s spring, and the grass is growing fast. So are potential conflicts among neighbors.

Neighbor A wants to get an early start and fires up the mower before 8 o’clock in the morning. Next door, Neighbor B is trying to sleep in after a long week or a late night.

“Loud morning lawn mowing should be illegal,” someone ranted on Reddit. “It’s absurd this would need to be said. As if there’s urgency. As if there aren’t a million alternatives to morning lawn mowing and loud mowers. What an extremely unhinged and insensitive culture.”

The person’s neighbor habitually began mowing between 7 and 8 a.m. The person may have complied with local noise ordinances, which usually kick in around 7 or 8 a.m.

The question in many neighborhoods isn’t so much about what’s legal but what keeps the peace in the neighborhood.

There are good reasons to time mowing with neighbors in mind. Gas lawnmowers are very loud, producing noise levels between 90 and 105 decibels. While not as deafening as a rock concert, which averages 100 to 120 decibels, they are comparable in volume to a jackhammer, which operates in the range of 85 to 130 decibels.

Not every situation is the same, though. Some early mowers may have legitimate reasons, such as heading out of town, racing against incoming rain, or juggling a packed family schedule. Excessive heat can make early-morning mowing the safest, healthiest choice.

“I am in no way defending this, but growing up in the Southeast (Georgia), there is absolutely a reason to mow your lawn super early,” someone chimed in on the Reddit thread. “It’s a lot colder. The sun and heat aren’t suffocating yet.”

So, what’s the etiquette here? When is too early to start mowing on weekends? We’re asking for Block Talk, Patch’s exclusive neighborhood etiquette column.

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About Block Talk

Block Talk is a regular Patch feature offering real-world advice from readers on how to resolve everyday neighborhood problems. If you have a neighborhood etiquette question or problem you'd like for us to consider, email beth.dalbey@patch.com with Block Talk as the subject line.

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