Building work - what is reasonable

[ScottishAuntieMorag]

What's reasonable noise wise. Environmental Health talks about 8am - 6pm.

How would you feel (in a semi) if your neighbour had builders in from 7:30-7:30. Noise so disruptive 75% of the time that you couldn't hear yourself on the phone and you can feel the vibration at your desk at the absolute opposite side of the house!!!

How long would you let it go on for before you said something - nice enough neighbours, an extension project rather than emergency work. I presume the noise relates to cutting an opening, hefty drilling and cutting through brick/concrete.

This is day 2 and I am really sick of it. I gather it is a three/four week project but even so it is pushing my bloody boundaries.

I am a reasonable person but I think the hours of work are unreasonable!!!

@morechocolateneededtoday

You're going to get a lot further if you start by kindly requesting they give you an idea of how long the noisy work will take and if it seems like there is still a while to go, looking for a resolution together.

Going in all guns blazing will lose you the relationship with someone you have to live with in the long term. Asking nicely then being firm if they are unreasonable will get you so much further

I agree.

OP needs to be prepared for the possibility that they may decide to recoup the lost time by working 8-4 every Saturday too.

Don't you sound like a peach. Not interested in workers rights. Lovely! And you work with 'disadvantaged' people with that kind of attitude?!
I actually honestly don't believe that from 7:30-7:30 they are banging away knocking walls down continuously for 12 hours. You even said in your OP it's 75% of the time. So it's not 12 hours then is it. They are allowed to be on site before 8am and they are allowed to stay onsite after 6pm. For the sake of a few days of noise I wouldn't be prepared to make enemies of the people living next to me. But you do you. I don't know why you bothered posting really because you clearly don't actually want the reasonable opinions of anyone else.

Talk to the neighbours. Ask them the timescale for noisy work and say that you need a quiet period to make work phone calls - after 6pm? If your job involves you being a good communicator then nows the time to start.

YABU - the work has to happen. I'm sure you would have been aware that it was happening.

Please calm down before you speak to them, you really don't want to fall out with your neighbour

I oddly feel sorry for the neighbour...

I'm not interested in the working rights of a self employed builder creaming in a profit, thanks.

Why should he care about your rights?

I do feel your pain. My neighbours have been building a huge extension on and off for 18 months. I'm a night shift worker and other than booking a hotel, which isn't financially viable, I have no where else to try and sleep through their racket when I'm between night shifts. So I do get your frustration and irritation.

There have been times that, although my neighbours builders aren't doing anything wrong, I have wanted to go round there and shout at them to stop (in my pyjamas, fortunately I've stopped myself!) and so many times I've come in from work to find various work vehicles blocking my drive. Admittedly some days are better than others in terms of noise and disruption.

But, they aren't actually doing anything wrong. My neighbours have planning permission for the work and me complaining won't stop the work from going ahead, asking for shorter days may make it go on for longer. So I understand your frustration and wanting to do something about it, but I'd think carefully before complaining. Im just watching their ginormous extension go up and will have a little party when I know they have finally finished.

When we had an extension the noisy work was digging out the foundations, then the building part was quiet.

I would ask how long the foundation building bit will last, after that it will be better

So you only needs an hour and a half for calls? Then you could work out of the house for the rest of your working day. Sounds like a compromise - they finish a bit earlier (and yes 12 hours of noise is too much) and you take yourself out of the way if the noise gets too much the rest of the time.

End of the day though, people are allowed to have work do e on their house and its allowed to be noisy although, ime, there are usually only a few days when the noise is really bad.

As somebody who works in construction I will tell you there is nothing you can do about it unfortunately. Noisy works are allowed between 8-6pm. I work on a building development that has been ongoing for nearly 8 years, the nearby residents have had to tolerate noise and vibration next to their apartments for a very long time. There is a construction site next door to my house that has been ongoing for over a year. Lots of vehicles, vibrations, scaffolding. Count yourself lucky you just have an extension happening next door and not an apartment block being built!

You can check to see whether your neighbours have a noise restriction in place and then get an acoustic test done to see if the noise levels are being exceeded but I doubt this stipulation will be in place for a small residential project.

Like lots of people unfortunately you have to suck it up.

I would ask how long this will carry on. We did a loft extension and the drilling when they broke through was only for 3 days but it left me with vibration over the whole house.

It may be that it is over soon and down to manageable levels. Your neighbours should have given you more information of the noise/disturbance level.

Does your company would be able to provide you with a secure location? I can't work anywhere public either. There are often office spaces to be rented by the day/week, could that be an option for your work?

I am always amazed with these people, including DH, being able to sit everywhere and work. But we always have the option to work in-office if needed.