Quieter Home Program 2026: Is Your Point Loma Home Eligible for Free Soundproofing?

If you live in Point Loma, you know the "Point Loma Pause." A jet climbs off the runway, conversation stops, and everyone waits a few seconds before picking up where they left off.

The good news: on September 1, 2026, the FAA awarded San Diego International Airport $15.3 million for its Quieter Home Program, enough to sound insulate roughly 400 more homes in Point Loma and other neighborhoods near the airport. Since 2001, the program has retrofitted more than 6,200 homes, at no cost to the homeowner.

If you own a home under the flight path, or you are thinking about buying one, here is what the program covers, who qualifies, and what to know before you sign up.

What the Quieter Home Program Actually Does

The Quieter Home Program is run by the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority and paid for with FAA grants funded by airline ticket taxes. Its goal is to cut aircraft noise inside your home by at least 5 decibels.

Think of it like double-glazing for your whole house. The program seals the openings where sound gets in, then adds fresh air so you can keep everything closed. Depending on your home, that can include:

• Acoustic windows with thicker frames and glass, including skylights and fixed glass
• Solid acoustic entry doors in wood, steel or fiberglass, and acoustic sliding doors
• Ventilation or air conditioning, so the house stays comfortable with windows shut

Historic homes are treated differently. New windows and doors must match the original style and materials, and the plans also go through the City's Historic Resources Board. For Point Loma's Spanish Revival and Craftsman homes, that is a real plus, because the character stays intact.

Who Is Eligible

Eligibility comes down to two tests: where your home is, and how loud it is inside.

Location. Your home has to sit inside the program boundary, which follows the FAA's 65 decibel noise contour around the airport. In practice, that means parts of Point Loma (especially Loma Portal), Ocean Beach, Bankers Hill, Middletown, Golden Hill and South Park. The airport publishes boundary maps on its Quieter Home page, so you can check your street.

Interior noise. Engineers test your home with all windows and doors closed. If the average interior noise level is 45 decibels or higher, you qualify for full treatment. Homes that test lower may still qualify for limited treatments.

Ownership. Every owner on the deed has to sign the program documents. Rentals can participate too, but your tenant will need to help prepare the home for construction. Apartment buildings have been treated as well, including the 548-unit Loma Palisades complex.

How the Process Works

Start by submitting a Participant Application, which puts your home on the general waiting list. Priority goes to homes in the loudest areas and to owners who have owned the longest, so applying early matters.

Once your group is called, the process runs in eight steps and typically takes 18 months to two years:

1. Homeowner meeting at the program's Liberty Station office.
2. Assessment. A team of six to eight architects and engineers documents your home.
3. Acoustic testing. Engineers measure interior noise room by room with a loudspeaker outside.
4. Design review. You review the proposed treatments. This is your last chance to withdraw with no obligation.
5. Contractor measurement walk. Products are custom built after this, which takes four to six months.
6. Pre-construction walkthrough, about two weeks before work starts.
7. Construction, typically 15 to 30 business days, weekdays 8am to 5pm. Removed windows and doors are replaced the same day.
8. Final walkthrough, where you get your warranty packet and care instructions.

The Airport Authority manages the contractor and inspects the work, which takes a lot of the usual renovation stress off your plate.

What It Costs, and the Fine Print

The treatments themselves are free, and the work will not trigger a property tax reassessment. You will get a letter from the County Assessor afterward that you need to fill out and return. But "free" comes with a few strings worth knowing about.

• You sign an avigation easement. All owners sign a homeowner participation agreement and an avigation easement. This is a recorded document related to aircraft overflights and noise, and it stays with the property. Read it carefully, ideally with your own attorney.
• No upgrades. Because the work is federally funded, products must be American made, and you cannot pay extra for a different brand or style.
• Pre-work may be on you. Inspectors can require code items before construction, from outlet covers up to an electrical panel upgrade.
• Maintenance is yours. After the final walkthrough, maintaining the new windows, doors and HVAC, and handling any warranty claims, is the homeowner's responsibility. NBC 7 reported that the program's workmanship warranty is one year, and some owners have paid for repairs on issues that showed up later.

To be fair, the airport says the vast majority of participants are happy with the results. Just go in with clear eyes.

Buying or Selling Under the Flight Path

In Loma Portal and parts of Ocean Beach, Quieter Home status is part of the home's story, and it should come up early in any deal.

If you are buying, ask:

• Has the home been through the program? If so, when, and is there a warranty packet and product documentation?
• What condition are the windows, doors and HVAC in now? Fogged glass or a tired AC unit is worth flagging in your inspection.
• If it has not been treated, is the home inside the boundary, and has the seller already applied? Ask the program directly how an existing application is handled after a sale.
• What does the house sound like at 6:30am on a weekday, when the morning departures start?

If you are selling, gather your Quieter Home paperwork, warranty packet and recorded documents before you list. A treated home is a selling point, and buyers will ask. The airport also publishes a noise disclosure statement and a brochure for real estate agents, so expect noise to be part of your disclosure package.

The Bottom Line

For many Point Loma homeowners, the Quieter Home Program turns the flight path from a dealbreaker into background noise. It is free, it is well run, and the new funding means more homes will get treated in the next round. Just apply early, read what you sign, and plan to look after the new windows and HVAC like any other part of your home.

To apply or check eligibility, contact the Quieter Home Program at 619-400-2660 or visit the program page on san.org.

Thinking about buying or selling a home under the flight path? I know these streets and can walk you through which homes have been treated, how noise affects value, and what to ask before you write an offer. Reach out anytime.

Josh Taylor | Compass | 760.704.3820 | [email protected]