Moving a manhole - how expensive?

April995

Hi everyone! 

My partner and I are buying our first home together. Unfortunately there is a manhole in the extension, it is double sealed but we’re not comfortable with it staying there and would like to move it. I reached out to the local water company but they weren’t much help (photo attached).

Does anyone know how much it would cost to get this moved or if we could cover it over etc? Would a general builder be able to do this sort of job?

Please help! 

DevilDamo

Not knowing or able to comment on the costs, is the manhole private or public? Or was it private prior to 2011 and is now considered public post 2011?

Owain_Moneysaver

The manhole cannot be moved without moving the underlying sewers as well. The manhole has to go over the point sewers join or change direction, to allow the sewer to be rodded if necessary. That will require the sewers to be rerouted around the extension and existing buildings, and relies on there being sufficient fall. As the sewers by definition serve your neighbours (to be public sewers) the work would require your neighbours' agreement and their gardens to be excavated as well. 
It will not be possible to simply cover the manhole - it is already to all intents and purposes covered - and if you did and it ever had to be opened you would be liable for the costs of doing so. 
Either live with it or find another house. 

April995

Owain_Moneysaver said:

The manhole cannot be moved without moving the underlying sewers as well. The manhole has to go over the point sewers join or change direction, to allow the sewer to be rodded if necessary. That will require the sewers to be rerouted around the extension and existing buildings, and relies on there being sufficient fall. As the sewers by definition serve your neighbours (to be public sewers) the work would require your neighbours' agreement and their gardens to be excavated as well. 
It will not be possible to simply cover the manhole - it is already to all intents and purposes covered - and if you did and it ever had to be opened you would be liable for the costs of doing so. 
Either live with it or find another house. 

Are you saying there is no way we can ever move this? Unfortunately, its right in the middle of the extension is an eyesore and a trip hazard, and from reading the email the water company sent me it seems like it is a flooding hazard too. 
From my research, it seemed like adding a rodding eye could be a possible solution?

April995

DevilDamo said:

Not knowing or able to comment on the costs, is the manhole private or public? Or was it private prior to 2011 and is now considered public post 2011?

Hi, thanks for replying! 
All I know is in the email pictured above. The drainage searches didn't give me any further information about the manhole as it didn't show it at all. 
I assume it would have been considered private in 2011 before they built over it but now it would be considered public if it serves more then just the one house? I assume the only way to find out if it does is to pay for someone to come out and open the manhole and inspect it, not sure if that would need to be a drainage professional or if a builder would know?

clive0510

the extension  should not of been built over the manhole. it should of been done properly in the 1st place. its too late now. to correct it would cost thousands. did you have a survey on this place before you bought it.

April995

clive0510 said:

the extension  should not of been built over the manhole. it should of been done properly in the 1st place. its too late now. to correct it would cost thousands. did you have a survey on this place before you bought it.

Hi thanks for responding, we paid for a drainage survey but the survey didn't even show the manhole or anything about it.
I don't want to take get a builder out to take a look at it if it's going to damage the double seal cover and never going to be affordable anyway.
We haven't moved in or exchanged contacts yet but we are due to very soon, so any advice is very helpful.

clive0510

ok April995 said:

clive0510 said:

the extension  should not of been built over the manhole. it should of been done properly in the 1st place. its too late now. to correct it would cost thousands. did you have a survey on this place before you bought it.

Hi thanks for responding, we paid for a drainage survey but the survey didn't even show the manhole or anything about it.
I don't want to take get a builder out to take a look at it if it's going to damage the double seal cover and never going to be affordable anyway.
We haven't moved in or exchanged contacts yet but we are due to very soon, so any advice is very helpful.

ok. well its up to you. I wouldnt touch it with a barge pole.

stragglebod

Not exchanged contracts yet? Good. Find another house.

Mickey666

April995 said:

clive0510 said:

the extension  should not of been built over the manhole. it should of been done properly in the 1st place. its too late now. to correct it would cost thousands. did you have a survey on this place before you bought it.

Hi thanks for responding, we paid for a drainage survey but the survey didn't even show the manhole or anything about it.
I don't want to take get a builder out to take a look at it if it's going to damage the double seal cover and never going to be affordable anyway.
We haven't moved in or exchanged contacts yet but we are due to very soon, so any advice is very helpful.

As I see this, you want to buy the property but not if it has a manhole in one of the rooms. 

So, get a builder to estimate how much it would cost to move it and deduct that amount from your offer price (assuming it's even possible to relocate it, depending on the external space around the house).  

Possible damage to the double-seal cover is not your problem because it isn't your house! (Obviously the seller would have to give consent for any inspection so they would be taking the risk, or perhaps not allowing any such inspection in the first place - but whatever they decide it's not your responsibility).

If you can't get a builder's estimate then make up a figure, but I wouldn't guess anything below £10k.

If the seller won't accept the revised offer then walk away before exchange of contracts.

Rosa_Damascena

Mickey666 said:

April995 said:

clive0510 said:

the extension  should not of been built over the manhole. it should of been done properly in the 1st place. its too late now. to correct it would cost thousands. did you have a survey on this place before you bought it.

Hi thanks for responding, we paid for a drainage survey but the survey didn't even show the manhole or anything about it.
I don't want to take get a builder out to take a look at it if it's going to damage the double seal cover and never going to be affordable anyway.
We haven't moved in or exchanged contacts yet but we are due to very soon, so any advice is very helpful.

As I see this, you want to buy the property but not if it has a manhole in one of the rooms. 

So, get a builder to estimate how much it would cost to move it and deduct that amount from your offer price (assuming it's even possible to relocate it, depending on the external space around the house).  

Possible damage to the double-seal cover is not your problem because it isn't your house! (Obviously the seller would have to give consent for any inspection so they would be taking the risk, or perhaps not allowing any such inspection in the first place - but whatever they decide it's not your responsibility).

If you can't get a builder's estimate then make up a figure, but I wouldn't guess anything below £10k.

If the seller won't accept the revised offer then walk away before exchange of contracts.

As a FTB you should save yourself some bother and just walk away. The vendor probably thinks that Christmas has come early and you're the fairy on top of the tree.

You'll look back and see that this is for the best.