How much does a sound barrier cost?

According to data from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, the cost of noise barriers can vary widely, with averages ranging from $45 to $70 per square foot.

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If you live near a roadway, traffic noise might be a concern. Recognizing the impact of noise from highways, efforts are made to mitigate it where feasible.

Noise barriers

We install noise barriers in two types of projects to reduce traffic noise.

Type One Noise Barrier Projects

When new improvement projects are initiated, noise barriers are included if noise standards are exceeded and other criteria are met. This type of project occurs when any of the following actions take place:

• Constructing a highway at a new location.
• Significant changes to the horizontal or vertical alignment of a highway.
• Increasing the number of traffic lanes.
• Altering roadside topography.

Type Two Noise Barrier Projects

These “retrofit” barriers are built along highways in neighborhoods that existed before noise abatement regulations were established.

The effectiveness of a noise barrier largely depends on its proximity to the listener. For residences directly behind a barrier, noise levels can be cut in half. However, this benefit diminishes with distance and is negligible beyond 500 feet.

Our Noise Barrier Process

We adhere to a consistent process for determining where to build noise barriers and how they are configured.

Traffic Noise Analysis

Well before construction, acoustical specialists assess noise sources and patterns in neighborhoods near the project. Noise evaluations consider several factors, including:

• Highway noise
• Area topography
• Population density
• Cost
• Expected noise reduction from a wall

Computerized noise models predict future traffic-noise levels, typically using rush hour traffic volumes at posted speed limits. Areas predicted to have a future traffic-noise level of 66 decibels (dBA) or greater qualify as impacted areas. Research indicates levels above 66 dBA impair conversations between people standing three feet apart.

All impacted areas are considered for noise abatement, with an aim to qualify locations for noise barriers based on feasibility and reasonableness. A noise wall must provide at least a seven-dBA reduction, although a ten-decibel reduction is preferred.

Reasonable and Feasible Criteria

For a barrier to be constructed, it must meet feasibility and reasonableness criteria:

• Feasible: Can provide at least a five dBA reduction at three first-row receivers and meet constructability requirements.
• Reasonable: Can provide at least a seven-dBA reduction while being cost-effective.

Noise Wall Costs

Current construction costs average $51.61 per square foot. This translates to approximately $3.9 million per mile for a fourteen-foot-high wall. Costs for rural barriers may be lower, while urban barriers are often higher due to necessary changes in existing infrastructure such as retaining walls or water pipes.

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Many interstate highway noise walls receive partial federal funding, with the remainder funded by WSDOT. On other state routes, funding may be shared between WSDOT and local jurisdictions, depending on the project sponsor. In special cases, local communities may provide additional funding for aesthetic enhancements or modifications to barrier dimensions.

Public Input on Noise Walls

WSDOT design offices work closely with impacted communities to ensure reasonable design requests are included in project plans.

Quieter Pavement

WSDOT has comprehensive data on quieter pavement performance. However, since noise reductions from quieter pavement decline long before the pavement needs replacement for other reasons, FHWA does not approve its use for noise abatement.

Options to Reduce Noise at Your Home

WSDOT does not have funds to modify residences for noise reduction. Interior noise reductions are only considered for certain types of public structures defined as Category D in the 2020 WSDOT noise policy.

Residents can implement changes to reduce traffic noise impacts at home.

Reduce Noise Levels Inside the Home

Suggestions to reduce indoor noise levels include:

• Replacing single-pane windows with insulated double-pane windows.
• Reinsulating walls and ceilings.
• Sealing door, window, and other cracks.
• Using indoor fans or installing air conditioning instead of opening windows.
• Incorporating noise-absorbing materials during the construction of new buildings, although these are expensive.

Noise Masking

Using white noise, such as a fan or waterfall, can help mask traffic noise, making it less noticeable.

Reduce Noise Levels Outside

Suggestions to reduce outdoor noise levels include:

• Using visually interesting landscaping to obscure the roadway. Certain plants can help mask traffic noise by rustling in the wind, although they do not effectively reduce noise levels.
• Enclosing a garden, deck, or patio with transparent plastic or other barriers.
• Building a "do-it-yourself" noise barrier. Ensure the barrier is built with appropriate materials and consult an acoustical expert to verify its effectiveness.

DIY Noise Barriers

For effective DIY noise barriers:

• The material must weigh at least 4 pounds per square foot.
• The wall or fence should not have gaps.
• Blocking the line of sight to the noise source typically results in a 5-dBA reduction.
• Increasing barrier height further reduces noise until fully blocking the line of sight to the roadway. Beyond this, additional height has minimal effect.
• The fence must either be long enough to prevent noise from circumventing the ends or must enclose the entire target area.

Noise Barrier Construction Material Average Unit Cost by Height

Height	Concrete	Block	Wood	Metal	Berm	Brick	Combination	Absorptive	All Materials
>=30 Feet	100	5	36	17	9	0	100	0	267
27-29 feet	30	0	0	0	0	17	27	27
24-26 feet	21	13	23	22	3	0	14	17	21
21-23 feet	32	0	35	0	4	0	16	24	30
18-20 feet	32	30	16	15	12	23	21	26	28
15-17 feet	29	27	21	17	6	30	19	34	26
12-14 feet	29	23	22	16	6	34	23	27	26
9-11 feet	31	26	19	26	6	36	23	42	26
6-8 feet	24	21	22	21	8	36	25	23	22
<6 Feet	48	3	2	2	9	0	1	0	66

Note: Square feet of noise barriers constructed with 'Other' materials - 1,946,829, costing approximately $34 per square foot.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Sound Barrier Price. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.