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Process

The Sound Insulation Program process may be more complex than other property improvement projects in which you have been involved. This multi-part process includes various pre-testing, documents, and professional design services to develop the tailored noise reduction plan for your property before executing the construction work required of the designs.

Your Professional Program Team

The Program Team includes specially trained architects, engineers, construction managers, acoustic and environmental specialists, all working together to successfully plan and complete the sound insulation improvements to your home. Collectively, Program Team members have completed nationwide sound insulation treatments in over 25,000 apartments, condos, schools, and places of worship throughout the country. At various times during this process, members of this team will: decorative

Meet with you to discuss the Program and document existing conditions in the home.
Prepare a written scope of work with accompanying graphics and floor plans to illustrate the recommended acoustical treatments to your property and discuss them with you
Provide daily observation and comprehensive inspection of the construction work in your property from start-up through completion
Perform both a pre- and post-construction acoustic test to determine eligibility and ensure the products installed provide a meaningful noise reduction
Provide warranties from manufactures and the installing contractor for all products and contractor workmanship

Information Request Form

The material on this page is for informational purposes only and does not supersede or replace the formal details provided by the Program Handbook. Please consult your Program Handbook or the Airport Noise Office at 206-787-5393 for complete program details.

The steps of the Sound Insulation Program process include:

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1. Owner Application

Potentially eligible owners will be sent an application to gather general information about you and the home.  

Completion of the application expresses the owner’s interest in participating in the program. 

After receiving a completed application, the Program Team will send the owner a copy of the Owner Handbook, which includes the required documents.

2. Owner Briefing

A briefing will be held at the residence or remotely.

Owners will be given the opportunity to learn more about the sound insulation process.

The Program Team will also review the Program, this Handbook and share required documents that you will need to sign as part of participating in the Program.

Be sure to ask any questions you have or request any information you need to decide whether to sign up for the Program.

3. Sign Owner Participation Agreement

If you decide to proceed, you must sign the Owner Participation Agreement. This gives the Port permission to perform acoustic testing and once eligibility is confirmed, develop a recommendation for reducing interior noise levels within the residence.

A title report is acquired by the Port to verify all persons listed on the deed of the property; and all persons listed on the deed of the property must sign this document and additional required documents.

4. Acoustic Testing

Prior to the design process, your property may be scheduled for an acoustic test. This test will help determine if the property is eligible to proceed to the design phase of the program. These tests will also be used to document to the FAA that the Program is meeting the required noise reduction goals. This test takes approximately two hours. Properties that do not pass this eligibility requirement will be notified.

5. Sign Avigation Easement & Subordination Agreement

When the Owner Participation Agreement is signed, you will also sign the Avigation Easement. It will be held by the Port and not recorded until after the Scope of Work Acceptance is signed.

If a Subordination Agreement is needed, a Program consultant will work with you to facilitate the process of obtaining it. For privacy reasons, lenders generally will not discuss your mortgage loan with anyone other than you unless you authorize it. You will be provided with a lender specific, third-party consent form that will allow the Program consultant to communicate with your lender. Mortgage lenders or mortgage loan servicers typically need to approve Subordination Agreements and they may require you to provide additional information or documentation as part of that approval process.

PLEASE NOTE: Getting the Subordination Agreement signed is a vital step in this process. Failure to obtain this agreement from lienholders on your property may prevent you from participating in the Program or the Port from installing the noise insulation improvements.

6. Design Site Visits

The Program Team will visit your property to collect the building and property information needed to prepare a design and scope of work document.

During the visit, the Program Team will answer questions about the Program, document the property’s existing conditions, draw floor plans, and measure all windows and doors.

The mechanical/electrical engineer will assess the systems in the residence, including existing ventilation systems, electrical service and potential safety or code issues. Since the Program will be evaluating sound paths into the home, please be aware that the Program Team will be looking in all the rooms, including attics and closets.

You will be asked about the age, construction, and maintenance of the property and systems. The Design Site Visit takes approximately two hours for most properties. No specific noise reduction outcome is guaranteed from the treatments.

7. Pre-Construction Environmental Testing

After or during the design site visit, your property will also be tested for hazardous materials including lead paint and asbestos. The environmental testing takes approximately two hours. If any hazardous materials are discovered, remediation work for the hazardous materials will be included within the scope of work.

8. Pre-Work

The Program only provides improvements that reduce noise levels in your home and is not a home remodeling program. Structural repairs, building code corrections, maintenance items, rehabilitation work, abatement of hazardous materials, environmental remediation, and weatherization not directly related to sound reduction is not part of this Program.

In some cases, there may be improvements that must be completed by you before the sound insulation treatments can be installed. These items are referred to as owner pre-work. Pre-work items will be identified at the time of the design site visit by the Program Team and will be subsequently identified in the Scope of Work. If applicable, and in order to participate in the Program, you must address all pre-work items before the sound insulation of your property can begin and that pre-work must be completed at your expense.

Contractors working in the Sound Insulation Program are prohibited from performing pre-work. If the property is of standard construction and has been maintained, pre-work should be minimal or not required. Failure to satisfactorily complete the pre-work in a timely manner is a basis on which the Port can terminate your participation in the Program.

9. Owner’s Scope of Work Meeting and Acceptance

The Program Team will schedule a meeting with owners to review the proposed Scope of Work for their property.

The recommended scope of work will include floor plans, window and door details, mechanical and electrical details and other design information describing the proposed improvements to the residence.

The meeting will take place at the property to give an opportunity to walk through the dwelling and review questions about the proposed improvements.

You will be provided the Owner's Scope of Work Acceptance form to be signed and returned to the Program within 15 business days after receipt. If you do not return the signed agreement within this time, the Port will understand that you have withdrawn your application and do not wish to participate in the Program.

Once the Scope of Work Acceptance form is signed by all persons listed on the deed of the property, you can only withdraw from the Program with the Port’s agreement and doing so will result in your being responsible for all costs incurred regarding your home in connection with Program. This meeting takes approximately an hour.

10. Execution and Recording of Legal Agreements

After the Scope of Work Acceptance form is signed, the Avigation Easement and Subordination Agreement(s) will be recorded with the King County Recorder's Office. Those documents will become part of the title to the property.

11. Pre-Construction Measurements

The selected contractor and Program Team will schedule an appointment with you for the contractor to measure each window and door opening for the custom fabrication of the products. This visit takes approximately an hour.

12. Pre-Construction Walk-Through

The contractor and the Program Team will visit your property 48 hours before the start of construction. During this short visit, the contractor will review with you the scope of work for your property, take pre-construction photographs and ensure the property has been prepared for construction.

13. Construction Process

The Program Team will notify you of your construction date. The contractor will need access to your property during weekdays between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. No work will be performed on weekends or holidays without advanced coordination and prior agreement from you.

Past experience indicates that substantial completion of installation work in a property averages about 10 business days; any particular project may take less or more time. After substantial completion, the contractor will need additional time to finalize the work and conduct local building authority inspections.

14. Final Construction Inspection

You and the Program Team will conduct a final inspection of the residence. Upon final inspection and approval, you will sign a document accepting the work. You will also receive a warranty package with information regarding the warranty provide by the contract for its work and warranties from the manufactures of the products and the equipment installed at the property.

PLEASE NOTE: The Port of Seattle is not providing any warranties regarding the workmanship or services of the contractor or the quality, function or suitability of the materials installed. All such warranties come solely from the contractor or the manufacturer of the materials.

15. Post-Construction Acoustical Testing

A post-construction acoustic test may be conducted on your property. The post-testing assesses the performance of the acoustic treatments in accordance with the Program’s goals.

16. Availability During the Sound Insulation Process 

Homeowners that participate in the program must be personally available for all site visits including:

Pre- and post-construction acoustic testing
Homeowner Agreement signing(s)
Pre- and post-construction walk-throughs

During construction the owner, or a designated representative 18 or older, must be present to open and secure the property. Owners of rental properties must coordinate access to the dwelling with their tenants and ensure the tenants are aware of the planned activities for all scheduled site visits. 

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