Most of the world's major nations, with the exception of the United States of America, have sound‐insulation requirements in their building codes. The purpose of this paper is to describe the experience of several European countries with such requirements. Typical procedures in common use are discussed: there are several variations in the basic definition of sound insulation, the method of interpreting test results, and, finally, the method of influencing or controlling building practice. An important consideration is the information to be gained from various possible types of test. Experience indicates the desirability of three stages of testing for a new type of construction: (1) laboratory tests on individual components; (2) tests on a partial assembly of wall and floor sections; and (3) tests on the completed structure. At each stage, problems are usually found that had not been anticipated earlier.