Moving a manhole cover

[fastliving]

I'm looking at an doing an extension, currently there is an outside manhole cover on the patio which will fall inside of the footprint of the extension.
Anyone got any ideas on how much this will cost to move - SE?

You have to apply for a build over agreement from your water waste company. IIRC it’s about £600.

I'm not sure that is correct. If it is the public drain owned by the water company then yes that's true, and my architect did everything to avoid the public drains. If they are your own private drains that then connect into the public drain then it is just part of the planning and building control regulations. You definitely can build Build over the drains but you need to get rid of the manhole cover so it is outside the new build.

Our architect went to some extent to ensure the new build drains connected into existing private drains, routing the private drains a long way around.

I agree. I’m presuming (!) that it’s probably the public drain that runs across everyones back gardens where all your waste goes. In that case you’ll need a build over and some rodding access too.

Depends whether it’s the manhole for the drains on your property that you are responsible for, or if it’s access into the main sewer that your water company are responsible for. Your architect would know this surely!

Digging up a private one and reconnecting it is not as much, but depends on the length and the fall for the water.

I would open it up and have a look inside...but I put a shed partially over it before I realised what it was (it is disguised very well in the patio) 😊

The searches from your house will likely shows drainage.

A build over is a fairly long process and you are best to get this sorted before proceeding with other plans as the costs could be high.

If your neighbours have a manhole in similar locations it is likely to be the public sewer and you will need a build over agreement.

Contact your waste water provider, will be on your bill...I hope it isn't Thames water as they are a nightmare to deal with!

You can get the drainage plans from the water company at a price if you don't have with the deeds. Don't assume they are correct though but in your case they should be as the manhole is visible

My Dad has an extension where there was an existing manhole that they built over but left access to - lift the lino, remove a hatch and there it is.

I believe it was to building regs when it was done (1980s?) - but things may have changed.

Things have changed now, you are no longer allowed to have a manhole within a property if is part of a private sewer - a drain serving more than one property.

This can possibly be replaced with pipework and covered over but depends on what the incoming drains are. It's just having the manhole inside that's the issue, the water companies got fed up paying for people's kitchens that needed ripping out when there was a blockage and people had placed them over the lids!

Your architect will design all of this out and you will need a build over agreement as has already been suggested.