Alexandria City Council Considers Action On Noisier Leaf Blowers

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Alexandrians may no longer be disturbed by the loud noise of gas-powered leaf blowers in their neighborhoods. Alexandria City Council is considering final action this week on a gas-powered leaf blower ban.

A proposed ban on gas-powered leaf blowers is up for first reading Tuesday and a public hearing and final action starting at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.

To help residents and landscaping companies with the transition, city staff recommended the ban take effect on July 1, 2027, providing a two-year phase-out period.

Gas-powered leaf blowers are considered to be louder and more polluting to the air than electric types. City regulations already limit use of power lawn and garden equipment to 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends and holidays. According to the city, there are regular noise complaints from residents associated with gas-powered leaf blowers.

"The availability of battery-powered leaf blowers as an alternative to the louder gas-powered leaf blowers will aid in the elimination of unnecessary noise from and will help preserve the safety, health, peace and good order of the community by reducing unnecessary noise and improving the community’s health by protecting air quality from emissions," a memo to City Council stated.

According to the city memo, the noise range for gas-powered leaf blowers is 70 to 115 decibels. Electric-powered leaf blowers range from 65 to 70 decibels, although newer models would be as low as 59 decibels. Sounds below 70 decibels are considered safe for human hearing. While the noise range seems similar between the gas and electric types, gas-powered ones produce low frequency sound, which can travel further and penetrate homes.

If adopted, the city says enforcement of the ban would be focused on landscaping companies working with gas-powered leaf blowers and property owners employing landscaping companies using these gas-powered types. Enforcement would affect the property owner if they are the ones using the leaf blower.

City staff hosted community meetings to present options for regulations on gas-powered leaf blowers on March 13 and 26 and take public input. Staff also reached out to residents, landscape companies and civic associations to gather feedback. According to a city memo, a majority of residents, organizations and commissions supported a gas-powered leaf blower ban, with a phase-out period. However, property owners and landscaping companies shared concerns about costs, reduced blowing power and limits on battery life with electric types, the work taking longer and requiring more workers, and the need for charging infrastructure.

Based on landscaping companies' feedback, city staff estimated it would cost $5,000 for a small company with less than five employees to transition to electric leaf blowers. It could cost $10,000 to $55,700 for a business with five to 15 employees and $80,000 to $100,000 for a large business with more than 15 workers. City staff are reviewing the feasibility of offering incentives or a rebate program to offset costs of transitioning equipment.

The cost for the city's own departments to replace gas leaf blowers with electric ones would be $75,000, which was included in the latest city budget. The budget also includes a new city inspector position focused on noise and environmental concerns.