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Living in a densely-populated area like a city—or even a more roomy suburb—has a lot of advantages, but comes with a price. One aspect of that price is having neighbors all around you, often right next to you and in some cases with their house attached to yours. This close proximity to other humans can be stressful or inconvenient—there can be noise when you wish there wasn’t, disputes over property lines, or simple personality clashes.
Usually, these disputes don’t involve property damage, but when your neighbors call in contractors to do work on their house, damage is always a possibility. No matter how careful, experienced, and professional a contractor is, when houses are very close (or attached) there’s can be some blowback when they show up to fix or replace a leaking roof, a cracked foundation, or the facade of your neighbor’s house. If you want to avoid a situation where your neighbor’s contractors inflict property damage on your side of the fence, there are a few steps you need to take the moment you’re informed of the looming renovation or repair project.
Document ahead of time
Large-scale construction projects often include what’s known as a preconstruction survey to document the condition of surrounding properties and anticipate problems. You might not want to spend the time and money to do something that formal every time your neighbor’s roof needs patching, but it’s a good idea to do your own DIY survey ahead of time by taking photos and making notes about the condition of your property where your neighbor’s contractors might make contact.
For example, if your neighbor is having their roof replaced, take photos of your attic (if you have one) and the roof itself. Make notes of any existing stains or old damage. If the roofers stomp all over your roof and drag materials across it and suddenly your roof is leaking, you’ll at least be able to prove the damage was caused by their contractor.
Communicate clearly
An evergreen piece of good advice is to always try communication and negotiation before you do anything else. When you find out your neighbor is having some work done that might impact your property (hopefully because they did the right thing and gave you plenty of notice), get in touch and have a conversation with them about any concerns you have.
It’s a good idea to ask them for their contractor’s contact info as well, so you can have the same conversation with them and make sure they have a plan to prevent damage to your property. You should also get their license and insurance information just in case something happens—but just establishing a relationship with the contractor will go a long way toward preventing problems in the first place.
If the project is extensive—a whole-house renovation, or an addition—you should consider having a formal construction agreement drawn up. These normally focus on access (when contractors need to get on your side of the property to complete work or asses something), but you can expand their scope to include an understanding concerning any damage inflicted as a result of the work. This will probably require an attorney and a fee if you want to get really formal, but if you’re friendly with your neighbor, you could also write up something less strict—the benefit of making your concerns clear can be well worth it.
Dampen and cover
In order to prevent your home from being covered in dust or having its exterior scratched and dented by tiny bits of debris sent flying, it’s a good idea to spray exterior construction zones with water on a regular basis. You can request that the contractors do this (good ones will do it without being asked), or do it yourself if they refuse or forget. Dampening the whole area will cut down on the dust and pebbles blowing around quite a bit.
If an exterior wall is exposed to ongoing renovation work on the other side of your property line, you might consider hanging a tarp over it for the time being to prevent anything that could scratch or otherwise damage it during the renovation. You can also cover your windows with a protective film that will prevent minor scratches and stains (from stuff like stucco or cement splattering everywhere)—or go ahead and board them up like you’re prepping for a hurricane.
Inspect
So you’ve spoken with your neighbor and their contractor, drawn up an agreement, and documented the condition of your house. Great!
Don’t relax yet, though—be ready to inspect your property regularly while work is going on. If roofers are working next door, go up on your own roof every day or so to inspect. If they’re working next to your yard, check your landscaping and hardscaping. If they’re digging out the basement, go down into yours and inspect the foundation walls. If there is any damage, you’re going to want to address it immediately with both your neighbor and your contractor. Every day that goes by between the contractors packing up and going home and you realizing they’ve broken something will make it that much harder to get it repaired or to get compensation for the problem, because the direct link between the work being done and the damage will get fainter as time passes.
If you don’t have a friendly relationship with your neighbor, or don’t trust the contractor for some reason, you might consider installing some temporary surveillance cameras in areas where your property is exposed. This way, if you discover damage you can quickly pinpoint when it happened and who (and what) was involved. Just be sure you’re not compromising your neighbor’s privacy when you set them up, and keep them trained on your property.
Be proactive
Finally, when talking with your neighbor about their project be sure to note exactly what’s being done, and anticipate problems:
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Vibration. Will the work involve bone-rattling drilling, jackhammering, or other vibration-causing tools? Remove stuff hung on shared walls and clear off shelving to prevent seeing your prize possessions smashed on the floor.
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Windows. Closing windows can keep dust and other debris out of the house, as well as lessen the noise from a next-door renovation. You should also check air filters more frequently if there’s a lot of construction dust floating around.
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Clear the patio and other outdoor areas that are adjacent to the work zone. Covering and moving furniture, grills, and other stuff might be a temporary inconvenience, but could also spare you from having to buy new stuff.
You can’t guarantee that zero damage will be done during your neighbor’s renovation or repair project—accidents will happen, after all. But these simple steps will help reduce the chances significantly, and give you a head start on fixing things if accidents do happen.
