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Submit plansHi, my neighbour is removing a wall in his house to make a Diner/Kitchen, my problem is I fear it’s a structural load bearing wall he’s removing & I’m worried about damage he might be causing to my property. He is doing it himself but he isn’t a tradesman he’s a car salesman & I have seen his standard of work which is cause for concern. Can I get building regulations, HSE or anyone else to come round & inspect his work so that I know it’s done correctly & is safe me & my family?
If this was a party wall shared with your property, then the Party Walls Etc Act would come into play. However, it sounds like this is a wall completely contained within his house, so your neighbour can do what he likes with it as long as the work is compliant with building regulations. Work to a supporting wall and the insertion of a steel lintel to take the loading is notifiable under Building Regulations but the scale of work means that it would not be notifiable under CDM (Health & Safety) regulations, so speak to your neighbour to politely ask about the building regulations inspection regime, explaining your interest in ensuring that the work is done correctly.
Your neighbour has a legal responsibility to let Building Control know 48 hours before notifiable work commences, so if this doesn’t happen or If no information is forthcoming, then I’d be letting your local authority Building Control know when it starts and let them take it from there – they will undoubtedly want to pay a visit.
Mike Hardwick (Build It expert)