Alexandria's last fall with gas-powered leaf blowers draws to close
City's historic ban takes effect next November, but electric alternatives will still create noise
The familiar roar of gas-powered leaf blowers will echo through Alexandria’s neighborhoods for one last fall season, as the city approaches a historic ban that takes effect in just less than a year.
Starting Nov. 17, 2026, Alexandria will become the first jurisdiction in Virginia to prohibit gas-powered leaf blowers within city limits, following an ordinance unanimously adopted by City Council on May 17.
The 18-month phase-out period means this autumn marks the final time residents and landscaping companies can use the equipment during peak leaf season. City operations face an earlier deadline and must transition to alternative equipment by July 1, 2026, according to the ordinance.
The ban stems from years of community advocacy, numerous complaints, and a petition submitted to the City Council, according to city documents. An August 2024 opinion from Virginia’s Attorney General confirmed the city’s authority to regulate the devices through its noise ordinance, prompting the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services to develop the ban.
Environmental and noise concerns drive change
City officials cited two primary reasons for the prohibition: eliminating unnecessary noise and protecting the environment by removing exhaust emissions.
According to city staff presentations, running a gas-powered leaf blower for one hour produces pollution comparable to driving a new car from Washington, D.C., to Miami — approximately 1,100 miles or 15 hours of driving.
Gas-powered leaf blowers emit volatile organic compounds and smog-forming pollution, according to city presentations citing studies by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The equipment also releases nitrogen that eventually contributes to pollution in the Chesapeake Bay.
“Bad air quality turns into bad stormwater quality, which turns into bad water quality in the Chesapeake Bay,” said Jesse Maines, stormwater management division chief.
City presentations noted that gas-powered engines are a significant source of air pollutants, particularly two-cycle engines, and that the regulation would reduce noise exposure to equipment operators while improving quality of life for residents.
Electric alternatives quieter but not silent
However, the transition to electric and other alternative leaf blowers will not eliminate noise entirely.
Gas-powered leaf blowers operate at 80 to 90 decibels, while electric models range between 65 and 70 decibels, with some new electric models operating at 59 decibels, according to LeafScore, an environmental product review site.
But the decibel numbers alone don’t tell the complete story. Because the decibel scale is logarithmic, a typical 85-decibel gas leaf blower is four times louder than an average 65-decibel electric leaf blower, with each increase of 10 decibels being twice as loud as the previous level, according to the American Green Zone Alliance, a nonprofit organization focused on sustainable landscaping.
The critical difference lies in the type of noise produced. Gas-powered leaf blowers generate both low and high frequency noise, while electric leaf blowers only produce high frequency noise, according to Montgomery County, Maryland’s Department of Environmental Protection. Low frequency noise travels farther, penetrates through concrete walls and windows, and impacts multiple properties at once.
“Two leaf blowers with the same loudness rating of 75 decibels have vastly different noise footprints, with gas-powered equipment producing low-frequency sound energy at much more intense levels than battery-powered machines, which travels much farther and penetrates walls, doors, and windows,” according to Quiet Clean D.C., an advocacy organization that successfully pushed for Washington’s gas-powered leaf blower ban.
Studies cited by city staff during presentations echoed these findings, noting that even at the same decibel levels, gas-powered equipment produces noise that carries farther and can penetrate homes more easily than electric models.
For context, the workday safety threshold for unprotected ears has been set at 85 decibels by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, at 80 decibels by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and at 75 decibels by the Environmental Protection Agency, according to the American Green Zone Alliance.
Business concerns and transition costs
Of the 57 landscape businesses licensed to operate in Alexandria that were contacted during the planning process, 12 provided comments expressing concerns about operational costs, technology limitations and the financial burden of transitioning to electric equipment, according to city documents.
Estimated transition costs ranged from $3,600 for small companies with fewer than five employees to $100,000 for larger operations with more than 15 employees, according to city presentations on landscape company feedback.
Landscape companies cited concerns about operational costs, noting that electric equipment takes longer to complete jobs and requires more workers, according to city documents. They also raised issues about battery life and blowing power compared to gas-powered alternatives.
City developing support programs
To help residents and businesses make the switch, the city is developing incentive programs. Officials have signed an agreement with Clean Air Partners for a leaf blower exchange program for residential users that became available this summer, according to city staff.
Commercial incentives are still being developed. City staff noted that providing equipment to commercial operators is more complex and expensive than residential programs.
The city allocated $75,000 in the approved fiscal 2026 budget to fund the transition for city departments, including Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities; Transportation and Environmental Services; and General Services, according to budget documents.
City staff hosted demonstrations with manufacturers of electric lawn equipment to provide alternatives and hands-on experience for staff and contractors, according to city presentations.
Enforcement and implementation
To enforce the new regulation, the city allocated $130,000 in its fiscal 2026 budget to fund one full-time noise and disturbance inspector position, according to a city budget question and answer document published March 19. The new hire joins one existing full-time inspector and will enforce the leaf blower ban along with other duties.
The ordinance does not change the current hours of operation for other power lawn and garden equipment, which remain regulated by the city’s noise code, according to the ordinance text.
The Transportation and Environmental Services department developed a communications plan to inform businesses and residents about the changes, with outreach beginning in summer 2025.
Strong community support
Before adopting the ordinance, T&ES staff conducted extensive community outreach, including social media posts, email newsletters, surveys provided in English and Spanish, stakeholder sessions with City Council and two hybrid community meetings in March that attracted approximately 85 participants, according to city presentations. Recordings from the public meetings remain available on the city’s noise website.
Community feedback showed strong support for a total ban from residents, boards, commissions and civic organizations, according to city presentations on community feedback.
Regional trend
Alexandria joins neighboring jurisdictions Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County, Maryland, which have already implemented similar bans, according to city documents.
D.C.’s ban has been in effect since January 2022 following a four-year phase-out period, according to city presentations. Montgomery County’s ban on sales took effect July 1, 2024, with a use ban beginning July 1, 2025. The city of Annapolis implemented a ban with a one-year phase-out period, taking effect Dec. 30, 2024.
The ban affects all properties within Alexandria city limits, including residential, commercial and public spaces, according to the ordinance.
The ban affects all properties within Alexandria city limits, including residential, commercial, and public spaces, according to the ordinance.For more information about the ban and available resources, residents and businesses can visit the City Noise website.