Your garden shouldn't become a cesspool or cause structural damage to your home by blocking noxious runoff from neighboring properties; have a drainage study to ensure your
new addition doesn't do that. In other words, it's a sensible precaution to take.
If your proposed foundations approach the statutory 3 m exclusion zone around the sewer by a small amount, you may be tempted to build the addition without first obtaining approval.
The difficulty is that if the water company finds out about this infringement and maybe gets clearance from building control, they may force you to stop development at the location or even destroy any structure erected over the public sewer.
To add insult to injury, building control will only issue the necessary Completion Certificate (needed when selling or remortgaging the house) with the proper clearance documents from the water supplier.
The principal purposes of build over agreement solicitors are to protect sewers from being damaged in the first place and to ensure that the water company can continue to do the
necessary maintenance and repairs.
The Application Process for a Build-Over Agreement
You'll need to provide some modest scale drawings of your house, addition, and drainage system along with the application and fee. The following instances are typical ones.
Specifications may vary depending on the kind of water supply. Typically, you may modify them based on the plans submitted with your application for a building permit. For trusted assistance, you can hire trusted conveyancing solicitors.
Structure and drainage of the existing dwelling, showing the location of the inspection chamber or chambers and the sewer with the flow direction indicated.
● Please include a diagram of the proposed addition's drainage system, including the locations of the sewer and inspection rooms. When adding on top of an existing
house, you'll need to cover the sewer, so mark the yard where the new chamber will go if the old maintenance hole has to be dug up.
● A schematic depicting the location's layout. This is merely a basic outline of the street drawn in the form of an operating system, indicating the location of your plot about the road and other buildings.
● Cross-sectional diagram. This is required only if the building is built on top of or within 1.5 metres of a sewage system. Please provide a detailed drawing of the sewage pipe's placement about the new foundations and the specifications of the bridge you want to build over it (i.e. with concrete lintels).
How Long Does a Typical Build-Over Contract Last?
Generally, three weeks should be allowed for BOA applications to be processed. It is OK to start work as soon as the contract is made public. It's common for applications to be held up because they've been submitted without the required drawings or details.
How Much Does a Build-Over Contract Cost?
An average application cost of £300 is charged (see the website of your local water provider). The actual building process is usually straightforward unless you move the sewer
lines or dig up new manholes. The additional expense may also result from the need to produce application-specific drawings. You can hire conveyancing solicitors for assistance.
Once I sign a Build Over Contract, what happens next?
Building control will monitor the drainage system and perform regular site inspections after receiving consent from the water provider.
While we're on the topic of build over agreement solicitors, it's important to remember that you can't use the quick "Building Notice" method to notify building control of your intention to build over or near a public sewer.