Builder's finish on repair work

Effects

I'm looking for some advice on repair work carried out by my neighbours builder, on my property.

My neighbour is adding an extension to the back of her house. Previously her house had a single storey, flat roofed extension on the kitchen. My house has a single storey pitched roof section at the rear, which joined her 80s flat roof extension. Her original extension and my house were joined via torch on flashing from the side of her extension wall, to my slate roof.

We also had joined shed buildings, brick built in the early 1900s.
Her extension demolished her 80s extension, as well as her shed, which was connected to ours. Her new extension has a flat rood, and parapet walls.

Her builder initially stated that the side of my shed, on the neighbours side, would be finished the same as how it is externally on my own side. No mention of it joining to the neighbours house.

Rather than build up the brick work at the side, and fix the roof, he extended the roof across and joined to the neighbour's extension with lead flashing, which seems fine to me.
The issue is that there are a number of bricks missing at the back of my shed, where the demolition took place, so the new slate roof hangs over where there should be brick, but there is about 6 or 8 bricks missing. On top of this, the guttering has been damaged on the back side, as well as the front side of the shed, where the roof was leaning his ladder.

Am I right to presume both the brickwork, and guttering should be finished to a standard that I am happy with?

A similar issue has arisen on the main house, where my roof has been extended over the boundary and joined to the new extension. Originally the flat roof extension dealt with her water run off, and my roof dealt with rain water run off via slate roof and my gutter.
As the extension has a new block built wall, inside the neighbours boundary, the extended roof section, which is about 200mm, doesn't have a gutter, so it flows down onto a flashing on our boundary wall and against the back of my house.

Again, am I right to presume it's the builder who should adapt my gutter to accommodate the extra section needed?


I just want to see where I stand before I speak to the builders about it.

They aren't always the easiest to deal with, and I've had to make temporary repairs to the damage they caused, to prevent water ingress.

I am on decent speaking terms with one of the builders, but I have had issues with them due to blocking my entrance with building materials on a number of occasions and incorrect disposal of hazardous waste. Each time being fobbed off until I had to contact the neighbour about it.

db

You should only be dealing with your neighbour. Regarding the water run-off issue I would consider getting your own engineer to assess and specify what remedial work should be done. You can then give this to your neighbour so their builder can finish it correctly. I know this is an expense you shouldn't have to pay but that builder will want to get out of there as quick as possible and won't care what state your house is left in.

Effects

Thanks for the reply. I completely understand that the builder will want to get away with paying as little as possible.

At the same time, I don't really want the expense of hiring an engineer to give details of remedial work that needs to be carried out. I've a fairly good idea myself of what has to be done. Just wanted to be sure that I was right in it all being the builders burden to fix.

I haven't spoke to the neighbour about it, as I figured it was between myself and the builder, until such time as the builder isn't cooperating.

Any idea what a rough cost would be to hire an engineer to do a report for something like this?

chuck eastwood

If the agreed finish wasn't done and accepted by you then you deal with your neighbor and they deal with the builder. Essentially the builder has damaged your property and if your neighbor refuses to call the builder back or pay for someone else to leave it in an acceptable condition then speak to a solicitor. More often than not these issues can be sorted out by speaking to the neighbours

Effects

chuck eastwood wrote: »

More often than not these issues can be sorted out by speaking to the neighbours

The neighbour is kind of avoiding me, as she is being slightly difficult as well, as she's not building what she has in her planning, and is hoping to get away with by applying for retention.

the_pen_turner

Why is builder s finish being mentioned. That where a builder is paid to do work up to the cosmetic stuff on a house . Painting and specific trades to suite the customers decor etc .
I wouldn't be agreeing to builders finish on work that a neighbour is doing unless the finishing off is part 8f the contract. . I would agree to do it unless everything was made good everywhere and you had no work to do yourself on it

Effects

Sorry, I'm talking in terms of how the builder intends to leave it finished, ratther than the building term, 'builders finish.'

But I guess it still counts as not being up to 'builders finish' as the builder has left out a load of bricks, leaving the wall plate just hanging in the air.

db

Effects wrote: »

The neighbour is kind of avoiding me, as she is being slightly difficult as well, as she's not building what she has in her planning, and is hoping to get away with by applying for retention.

when you know she is there knock on the door and don't leave until she answers. if you don't get anywhere then go to solicitor.

Gramsci Babeuf

You really shouldnt have to put up with this.

You now have a new issue with water runoff which will only get worse, plus you have a small structural isssue due to missing bricks.

Up to you, but I would definitely be kicking up a stink with both your neighbour and the builder about this.

If the builder has any sort of a good name and is reputable then he will engage with you to fix these issues. The last thing he will want is to get his name blackened by shoddy work.

I hopeit works out for you.