Is it common decency to inform neighbours who wfh about loud noises?

‘Common decency’ is over-egging it a bit. As a one-off, during the day, I wouldn’t mention it especially if I thought my neighbours might make a fuss.

I always inform my neighbours if there will be work done that causes excessive noise to the usual diy work. Because you have no idea what's going on in their life and if they need quiet they can then prepare to go elsewhere. It's just courteous. Like if they wfh they could plan to go to the office that day instead. Or if they were thinking of having a friend over could arrange to go out instead.

I’m quite surprised at a lot of the replies! Yes it’s just nice to say ‘hi we are having x done on Wednesday, it will probably be a bit noisy and the the van will be outside if you need it moved to get off the drive just give us a knock!’ Minimum it lets you know, and as you say you can arrange to go to the office or be out for the day if you wish! Of course they are perfectly entitled to do the work, ops not questioning that- just nice to chat to your neighbours! Everyone here lacks that it seems…

Maybe they didn't know the work would be so noisy?

I think in this case I wouldn't. It's outside and in normal working hours. However if long term it's common manners to tell. However if your house is attached the side that's attached and having banging etc should let you know.. I think you getting mixed answers as it's outside op. Yabu due to location

Hi OP, yes I would tell my neighbours- text the ones who I have their number and put a note and some disposable earplugs through the houses where I don’t know them. It would give people the opportunity to arrange their lives if possible (ie go to the office that day) or at least be forewarned so they know what’s going on.

Yes, it is common decency to inform neighbours if the noisy work is going to continue for more than a couple of hours.

I would always do this and my neighbours would too.

I'm also very concerned that they are taking out a hedge during bird-nesting season, which is illegal.

No, it's not your business to know when they do what kind of work/ maintenance to their property during normal daytime hours.

Power drills and saws are nothing like "a few hours of gardening"!

I wouldn’t be going out of my way to inform neighbours of noisy work during weekdays. Weekends/evenings might be different. You need noise cancelling headphones!

I think you're being precious OP. It's give and take ie you're young kids may make loud annoying noise too but the neighbour has to suck it up. Not the neighbours problem that you wfh

Depends on whether the hedge is a boundary between your houses. I mean if you were going to replace your hedge with a fence, you’d at least go and talk to the neighbours on the other side of that hedge wouldn’t you? Even if you didn’t think there would be any noise?

mind too my experience is that these days all workmen have those bloody powerful radios pumping out noise loud enough to be heard over the equipment, so i expect any work to be loud and disruptive.

I don't think they are being unreasonable, but for WFH you need decent noise cancelling/background noise reduction headphones and mic. Either for calls, or to play background music so you can concentrate.

Of course it can be annoying, but it isn't everyday and sitting in an office with 50 other people talking on their own zoom calls is just as annoying so need the decent headset anyway.

I think also with things like tree work, you often don't know until late the day before, or the morning of, that the works are actually going to happen anyway. Weather plays such a role in whether contractors manage to finish the previous project on time, or finish early and can just fit you in at the end of the day, or rain means yours won't be happening that day etc

It can be even more annoying to have put all the avoidance plans in place to discover that actually the work didn't happen as planned, but will be going ahead tomorrow instead.

My neighbour did this exact thing if he had told me I could have gone into the office that day no issue

Nope, I wouldn't expect to be told.
I've worked from home for over 20 years and had 2 kids in that time, and just deal with whatever noise is about.

I think it's this. If someone was coming to sort my hedges it wouldnt occur to me that it would be THAT loud or to inform the neighbours.

Of course it would have been possible with a heads up. If the OP had known before the day she could have done her usual commute into the office (e.g. leaving home at 7.30am to get in work for 9am). Because she wasn't told she couldn't plan for it. If the noise started at, say, 9.30am, to then commute in wouldn't get her there until 11am. That's 2 hours of the working day she has lost and meetings missed.

We always let our neighbours know if we'll be doing any work, bbq, etc, as do they for us. It's just useful to have a heads up in case we want to rejig plans as a result. I agree OP, it's a nice courtesy to extend to each other.

How do you know how long it will go on for if they don’t tell you? My neighbour has started landscaping work now with a digger after finishing off the demolition this morning.

we could go and ask him but we’d just get told to fuck off and it being none of our business.

YABU - garden work for a morning, no need to tell neighbours, particularly midweek. Long project like building works, obviously polite to tell them about disruption.

The other half of our semi had 7 months of building work. I asked that they let me know when drilling into the shared wall was happening so I could arrange to go out that day where possible. However, when it was one-offs, I accepted it as part of WFH in a built up area.

I agree with you OP but the reality is noone warns you of anything and people just make noise and don't give a f*.

When we moved in we learnt of our neighbours extension plans by the official letter sent by surveyor. No decency to knock on the door and tell us. We didn't also know when the work will take place. Same with other neighbours. They redoing their kitchen and other works in the house now. No note, no nothing.

They don't even say hi properly to us let alone tell us what works they planning. 🤣🤣🤣

but who would look after the napping child?