Builders next door, what is acceptable?

We’ve been in the same position and did finally ask the builders to turn the radio down as it was so intrusive. They did, there was no animosity in fact we often chatted amicably. A builder friend said in his view trades sometimes forget they are working in and around homes not on a building site. Could well be true. If you can ignore the noise from radios then do jmah, if that’s impossible a quiet word with a smile usually gets results.

Our tiny cul de sac has been blocked by several trades vans for over a year now while neighbours have their extension built. Lady of the house told me a week or so ago that it should all be finished in a couple of months.
Worried about the state of our road surface after it being a building site all this time. Don’t want to fall out with them as they are a nice family. So it’s shut up and put up I suppose ☹️

grandtanteJE65

It is illegal for anyone to park across your driveway, so you cannot get out or in to your own property, and even worse, neither could an ambulance or fire engine, at need.

You are well within your rights to go straight in and ask the workers to move their van, stating that you need to get your car out. If they do not comply, phone the police.

You are also justified in asking them to turn down their music sufficiently for you to hear your own radio or television.

Presumably, your neighbour is at work, otherwise she would probably have asked them to make less noise.

this is also what I think.
I would ask the builders to turn down the radio and to never park across your drive again.

Hi JMAH
I do sympathise with you and hope the work finishes soon so you can get some peace again.
Our new next-door neighbour, who seems a nice lady, just finished her work, having completely renewed her house, both inside and out. The work has been going on for at least six months.
Apart from delivery lorries in front of our drive for a short while, we had little problem. However, it seems we were lucky, anytime she had major work done as in landscaping the garden and paving the driveway, we happened to be away on pre-planned trips so we missed.all the inconvenience!
Every time we see our neighbour, she apologises and says how pleased she was for us that we were away.
This week she invited us for tea and to see her new home and indeed it is lovely.
So I would say try to manage as far as possible with the exception of blocking your driveway for a period of time.
Good luck, it will finish soon.

I wouldn’t be happy that the vehicle was obstructing my drive so I would be telling them to move it, I would wear ear plugs if I thought their music was too loud if it affected me that much, but I don’t have a problem with loud music myself, I hope you get some peace and quiet very soon op

When our previous neighbours had building work done they didn’t block our drive but parked in such a way I could not see past the van to safely get out. I asked them politely if they would mind waving me safely out. They were great and did exactly that!

It is illegal for anyone to park across your driveway, so you cannot get out or in to your own property, and even worse, neither could an ambulance or fire engine, at need.

You are well within your rights to go straight in and ask the workers to move their van, stating that you need to get your car out. If they do not comply, phone the police.

You are also justified in asking them to turn down their music sufficiently for you to hear your own radio or television.

Presumably, your neighbour is at work, otherwise she would probably have asked them to make less noise.

JMAH I have just been through this recently for nine days and I was surprised at how long a time it seemed. There were builders in the premises beneath me and the drilling literally shook my flat. The one thing I did was to ask the guys, very politely, to turn down their music, which they did willingly. Also, I once lived next to a building site (an eight-storey block of flats built from scratch) for a year and although they were meant to start work at 8am, every week they started a few minutes earlier, till it was a 7am start. I went to the site manager's office and pointed out the time discrepancy and they shifted it to 8am. I suppose if you don't ask either they don't realise the inconvenience or they do realise and are pushing it until you ask!

I have neighbours who are always having something done with the house and or garden. I say nothing because other wise they never cause me any trouble. I have said something though when the vans have been parked blocking me in and when they put some scaffolding on my garden.

Thank you all, you have helped me get the issue into perspective. It is just into the second week but feels much longer! I know jobs have to be done and my neighbour is such a lovely person so I am going to ride it out and say nothing, except when I need to get out of the drive if they park there again! Thanks all for your input and time.

PS you could put out red cones or two plastic chairs with a rope stretched between then across the road immediately outside your place?

Esspee

It has been less than a week? Well yes, you are being unreasonable.

I tend to agree with this post.

The other half of my apartment block has been undergoing conversion to flats for more than 15 months. At times, the noise has been unbearable, especially at the beginning when the foundations were being reinforced.

Besides the noise, I've suffered mould on my adjoining wall due to the builders leaving an internal wall unprotected. Complaining led to a visit from the Damp Surveyor ( for which I was billed!) which concluded that it was due to the way I live!! Odd that after seven years, this issue only arose when they started work next door.

Although I could take this further, I'm awaiting heart surgery next month so don't need the stress. While in France, I've paid my regular decorator to make good the damage and redecorate which has cost me more than a grand but I have peace of mind.

Be patient! You never know when you'll need your neighbour.

It's your neighbour's responsibility to you to control the builders they are employing. Parking across your drive is irresponsible and you have the right to ask your neighbours to tell their builders where they may and may not park. It's a shame the builders need to be told!

Esspee

It has been less than a week? Well yes, you are being unreasonable.

It's also unreasonable to block someone's entrance or exit to their driveway.

Although I suppose one has to tolerate the 'builders' radio' which seems to be part of their tools-of-trade these days. Although a builder I had recently managed to work without it - just putting it on when he sat down to have a break.

Apart from asking them nicely not to block your drive as you need access (and say it with a big old smile) otherwise I think that you have to grin and bear it
I have some work going on next door, sometimes it happens, as for the music the guys need something to get them through the day and honest I don’t think it would make any difference you ll still be aware of it even if they put it down a couple of notches
It won’t be forever

I would put up with it all but think blocking a drive is not acceptable.
I would say you should request they leave the drive clear in case of emergency.

Our 3 storey scaffold arrives on Monday. I will be having woodwork, tiles, chimney, finials, guttering and painting done.
It will be very expensive and take a month.

I wouldn't do it if it wasn't necessary.
That's the trouble with high-up work... you pay so much to get the scaffold up so you need to get the jobs done all at once.

Our new neighbours had their garden totally redesigned and landscaped. It was a rather big job clearing mature trees bushes paving sheds fences etc.
Our driveway was often blocked out of necessity all materials being dropped off. We asked to access our cars when needed and that was no problem.
Have a quiet word about your frustration with the loud music.
It's better to have neighbours who tidy up property than those who let their house go near derelict.

GrannyGravy13

I am going to be the annoying neighbour in Spring 2023 (put back from now)

Our building work will be anything from 3 months onwards, will let the neighbours now beforehand, and ply them with wine, chocolates and flowers intermittently.

Ask them to move their van when you need to go out and mention in passing how their music is drowning out yours.

We are having major work done at the moment that will last for about 6 weeks. I keep apologising to neighbours for vans, noise from 7.30am, music, etc. And they all say 'no worries, can't be helped, work has to be done'. Just ask them to move the van/s if you need to go out, and if it really bothers you, to turn music down a bit. But honestly, 1 week and a bit - I'd say ride it with a smile. Scaffolding is btw massively expensive, so it is fair to want to use it to its full extent whilst it is up. For the job we are doing, scaffolding represents more than 12% of total cost.

Please go and tell them, if you don’t then they won’t know they are being annoying.

I am going to be the annoying neighbour in Spring 2023 (put back from now)

Our building work will be anything from 3 months onwards, will let the neighbours now beforehand, and ply them with wine, chocolates and flowers intermittently.

Ask them to move their van when you need to go out and mention in passing how their music is drowning out yours.

I would certainly have words with the workmen about the loud radio if you can hear it over your own and the access to your drive. Or invest in ear plugs. The wax kind from Amazon are very effective.

I think you’ve got to live and let live. The gable end work has to be done and you never know you might need significant (perhaps unexpected) work on you house or garden that might be stressful for your neighbour - and you acknowledge she’s a lovely person. I wouldn’t let this upset things and a couple of week’s inconvenience is nothing. .

It has been less than a week? Well yes, you are being unreasonable.

There is a house about 100 yards from me where work has just started to build an extension which seems to be for the owners 84 year old father. The loud work will be going on for 7 months. I pity the nearer neighbours and those opposite and wonder if the father will still be alive to enjoy it.

I had something similar a while back. My neighbours work seemed to go on for ever and sometimes they used to say something to me and I’d reply with, ‘It won’t be for ever’ and I have to say when it all finished I missed seeing all the comings and goings.