Neighbour is having an extension

chappers

I totally agree an early open and frank discussion with your neighbours is worth far more than any party wall agreement.
As a builder I have worked both within party wall agreements and without them. It just depends upon the complexity of a job or if problems are likely to occur in the future.

Abbafan1972

Hi there.

Sorry to revive this thread.

The extension is coming on and the builders are now working on the roof.

So far we've had no problems with the builders, they are chinese/phillipine or something, not sure.

When I was at a funeral yesterday, my cousin mentioned that the builders are breaking the law by working Saturday afternoon or Sunday, but it's ok for them to work Saturday morning.

Is there any truth in this, as they have been here on a Saturday well into the afternoon?

Thanks in advance.

pmlindyloo

Abbafan1972 wrote: »

Hi there.

Sorry to revive this thread.

The extension is coming on and the builders are now working on the roof.

So far we've had no problems with the builders, they are chinese/phillipine or something, not sure.

When I was at a funeral yesterday, my cousin mentioned that the builders are breaking the law by working Saturday afternoon or Sunday, but it's ok for them to work Saturday morning.

Is there any truth in this, as they have been here on a Saturday well into the afternoon?

Thanks in advance.

I think you could look this up on your local council web site or give them a ring.

From my reading I cannot find any law that prevents building work being carried out at any time. It does seem that there may be local regulations for noisy work. I think it is generally accepted that 8am - 5pm during weekdays, 8am -1pm Saturdays and not on a Sunday.

However, if you think about it logically, no one would be able to do any DIY work at the weekend if there was a law about it.

I think it is based on commonsense more than anything. For instance if the builders were making horrendous noise, hours on end, at the weekend then the council might intervene if they got lots of complaints.

I know that planning permission often have clauses about the timing of certain work.

Generally, in most circumstances negotiation with the neighbours is the way to go.

Mojisola

Abbafan1972 wrote: »

When I was at a funeral yesterday, my cousin mentioned that the builders are breaking the law by working Saturday afternoon or Sunday, but it's ok for them to work Saturday morning.

Is there any truth in this, as they have been here on a Saturday well into the afternoon?

Look at it this way - if you can put up with a few disturbed weekends, the job will be finished faster and life will get back to normal.

pinkteapot

What happened about the wall in the end? Is it on the boundary and does guttering etc therefore overhang?

RexBanner

andy.m wrote: »

we had an issue with our neighbour, not quite the same but similar.

My Wife was merrily hanging the washing out when she heard our neighbour drilling into our garden dividing wall.
She was savvy enough to call me and check and neither of us had heard anything in advance so we told the builder to stop.

He swore blind that there would be no fixings into our wall and that there would be no issue.
We told him simply that any works carried out without our agreement was at risk.

They were fitting support rails (2x2) to take their 3' fence panel on top of our 5' blockwork wall.

I explained to the neighbours wife, she apparently couldnt see an issue and was mortified that I stopped the job, that it was OUR wall and OUR decision as to what happens to it. I also explained that I wasnt enamoured at the idea of them fitting a sail to it.
I secured rights to inspect the workmanship on their side, that the builder returned to make good blow holes around the plugs/screws, painted their side again in masonry paint, I also got them to agree to treat the fence twice a year to ensure it doesnt look ramshackled anytime soon.
We asked them to sign a letter to this effect and initially she refused, so I stated that I expected the fece to be removed by the following Sunday 12 noon or I would so it for her and charge them for the privilidge, I also explained that I thought it was reasonable to expect a Structural Engineer to attend and inspect the wall.

They signed the document the next day and we got back to life as though nothing had ever happened.

Later that year they divorced and wanted to sell the property so we made them sweat a fair bit, we liked the bloke but she was a miserable cow and I would struggle to find the enthusiasm to !!!! on her if she was ablaze so we were delighted whe he bought her out and carried on living there on his own.

The document may well have been worthless, but they signed it and lived by the terms within it.

The moral therefore if you get nothing if you dont ask/try and I for one would not be at all happy to have a blockwork wall erected on my boundary, one that potentially you could be liable for poor construction, subsequent damage, negligence etc as it is in essence YOUR boundary wall.

I'd say the parties at your place are a riot!

Abbafan1972

Well I had to speak to the builder on Sunday afternoon, not the 2 that have been doing the main work, but the guy who knocked the door when we 1st heard about the extension. I asked him to take away the fence panels and posts that he's taken out, they have just been left in our garden. We're not the ones who wanted them out, so he can dispose of them.

Also, there is a gap between the wall and the fence. He said before they started work that this would be filled in, but nothing has happened yet, so I've reminded him about it.

Here is a photo. (Clickable thumbnail).