Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

Nightmare builders next door!

22 replies

GingerKat24 · 31/08/2019 14:51

Our adjoining neighbours are having a large extension which started a month ago. The builders are slowly driving me mad with their inconsiderate parking (up to four vans a day) - this morning one parked across my driveway meaning I couldn’t get out, loud voices and swearing. I came home from work yesterday to discover they had erected scaffolding on my patio (they had to climb over our fence to do so) and it was on the flat roof too - without asking us. My partner had a strong word and they removed it from the flat roof (why was it there?? Surely it couldn’t hold weight anyway!). The final straw though is the hours they work - they start about 8.30 and don’t usually leave until 6.30, often later. Plus they work weekends. Last weekend when it was beautiful weather we couldn’t have our patio/windows open or use the garden because of the bloody noise. All weekend! Are there restrictions on working evenings/weekends. We cannot discuss with neighbours as they have gone away (lucky them!)
Sorry- long rant over!

OP posts:
LIZS · 31/08/2019 14:54

There should be working hour restrictions on council website or their pp approval, online. Do you have a party wall agreement?

HappyHammy · 31/08/2019 14:58

yes there are restrictions on what time they can work, look it up on your local council site. they are also not allowed to put scaffolding on your property without your permission, that is trespass. if you know which company they are I would phone and ask to speak to the manager/owner and tell them what's been happening, they should not block your entry/exit either. take photos and recordings and tell neighbours when you can.

Bluntness100 · 31/08/2019 15:03

The thing is. You can limit how many hours they work, sure, but it simply means the job will last longer. The work needs to be done. So pick your hard, then working late and weekends and it finishing sooner, or them working strict hours and it lasting another two or three weeks.

wowfudge · 31/08/2019 20:39

Oh come one - no one wants their weekends ruining like that.

SciFiRules · 31/08/2019 20:49

Unfortunately trades need to park close to accept essential tools and materials. Also if a tradesmans tools are stolen due to having to park out of sight that's his livelihood gone. Most are self employed, perhaps you can understand why they park where they do.

SciFiRules · 31/08/2019 21:17

*access tools and materials - fat thumbs!

Bluntness100 · 31/08/2019 21:20

Oh come one - no one wants their weekends ruining like that

I don't think anyone disagrees, but rhe consequence is clearly if they don't work weekends, and work shorter week day hours the job will go on longer, it's a judgement call whether the op would prefer to have longer working days and weekends disrupted, and the job finishing sooner, or shorter working days, no weekend disruption and the job lasting much longer.

LittleLongDog · 31/08/2019 21:20

That doesn’t mean they should park across a driveway though scifi?

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 31/08/2019 21:21

Unfortunately trades need to park close to accept essential tools and materials. Also if a tradesmans tools are stolen due to having to park out of sight that's his livelihood gone. Most are self employed, perhaps you can understand why they park where they do.

Are you serious? So that makes it OK to park on OP's driveway and to block her in?

OP, complain to your council in writing.

Original poster
GingerKat24 · 31/08/2019 21:45

Thanks for comments everyone. I’ve looked on council website and there are restrictions on noisy work. Can’t be after 6pm during week. Saturdays only 8-1, no work on Sundays or Bank Holidays. I’m guessing the neighbours will be back from holiday soon as schools go back next week, I’m going to have a polite word with them and point out that builders should not be working all weekend. Frankly I would rather the work went on longer if it means I can have a pleasant noise free weekend. If they get arsey then I will contact the council.

OP posts:
MrsFezziwig · 31/08/2019 21:49

Bluntness your logic can’t be faulted but you do need a break from the noise and mess, and yes the job will last longer overall but more of it will be done while people are out at work, so less stressful. My builders didn’t work weekends, and by teatime on Friday I frankly couldn’t wait to see the back of them for a couple of days of peace and quiet - and that was for my own renovations!
I also had multiple vans coming and going. No-one parked over any drives except my own.
And putting up scaffolding on your property like that is just illegal.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 01/09/2019 01:17

Can they park on the NDN drive who is having the work done ?

There are time restrictions - for the benefit of the neighbours but also the builders themselves so they don't exceed hours.
They might have a Penalty Clause though so they'll want to crack on.

They scaffolding has been moved ? Keep an eye on it in case they try that again and check your roof . Make sure they're not walking on it .

The parking/blocking in would drive me batty and I wouldn't tolerate it unless they asked . (I have let neighbours builders park across my drive before when I didn't need to go out , I know how difficult it can be )

Get them to curb the shouting and swearing especially if you have young DC

WhereDoesThisToiletGo · 01/09/2019 08:30

I'm currently having an extension built and right from the start I told boss builder that I didn't want to piss off my neighbours

Original poster
GingerKat24 · 01/09/2019 08:59

They are here now drilling- got here at 8.30! Argh! Re the parking, they already have one vehicle at end of neighbours drive - the drive itself is full of rubble and rubbish as they don’t have a skip! (These builders seem so dodgy.) . It wouldn’t be so bad if they asked first if they could park at end of my drive, but they don’t even have the courtesy to do that. They just don’t give a shit! I overheard another neighbour asking them to rein in swearing as she has young grandchildren, but it continues. Looking forward to speaking to neighbours when they return from holiday

OP posts:
LIZS · 01/09/2019 09:10

If no sign of owners by tomorrow complain to council and ask then to investigate.

WhereDoesThisToiletGo · 01/09/2019 10:07

My builders turn up at 7am to avoid the traffic but they move stuff about and do quiet prep work before 8.
Then the jack hammers come outBlush

WhereDoesThisToiletGo · 01/09/2019 10:12

Print out your local council guidelines.
I found mine by Googling (council name) and construction.
Mine says NO noisy work on Sundays, but they are allowed to quietly tile!
Home DIY is not covered by these guidelines but commercial construction is.
If they are in breach of guidelines, go round and tell them to shut up

cantkeepawayforever · 01/09/2019 10:24

Are the builders a named company? Or do they seem like a bunch of freelancers?

If they are a company, then speaking to the council and asking them to contact the company about noisy work is probably the most effective.

Does the work have planning permission? It is sometimes the case - i have used this in the past when dealing with a problem building site - that there are conditions written into the permission about e.g. removal of waste. Anther source of help, if there is no planning permission. is the council's Building Control group - they can be interested in seriously dodgy building practice.

I would agree with printing out a copy of the guidelines, and presenting it to both the builders and putting a copy through the letterbox to your neighbour, together with a record of the times that the builder has actually been working.

Parking is always a pain (getting out of my house currently depends on a blind leap of faith into a main road) but there is a clear difference between 'doing their best to minimise inconvenience' and 'not caring who they get in the way of. Photograph to show neighbours and council.

FrangipaniBlue · 01/09/2019 16:40

Unfortunately trades need to park close to accept essential tools and materials. Also if a tradesmans tools are stolen due to having to park out of sight that's his livelihood gone. Most are self employed, perhaps you can understand why they park where they do.

What utter tosh. DH is a tradesman and yes they do need to park close to load and unload but not all day.

DH wouldn't dream of blocking someone's drive, even if he did to do it for a short time to load/unload he goes and knocks and asks if it's ok first!

and if their tools are nicked it's not their livelihood gone because any proper tradesman will have his tools insured (along with proper public liability insurance).

As for the swearing, DH is the same if he's on a building site with other tradesman, but absolutely no way on a residential housing estate with kids around, he reins it in.

They are out of order and you need to speak to your neighbours.

MrsGideon · 04/09/2019 15:51

@GingerKat24 Did you speak to the neighbours on Monday? What did they say?

Original poster
GingerKat24 · 04/09/2019 16:55

I spoke to the neighbour yesterday and he was very apologetic. He said builders had only been working weekends because they were behind - it should now stop. I referred to council restrictions (politely) so hopefully they won’t push their luck. I overheard another neighbour complaining to him about the builders so they are aware now that neighbours are getting irritated! Parking situation has improved today too. Fingers crossed things are going to get better

OP posts:
MrsGideon · 04/09/2019 17:15

That's good news! Hope it's a smoother ride for you from now on :)

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread