Elise Mcveigh’s Life Camp Column

Dear Mrs. McVeigh,
My family and I are dealing with a house being built next door to us. We had a positive and supportive attitude towards the neighbor at first, but their builder has been nothing but rude to us. Here are just a few examples of how rude they have been. They have refused to respect our no parking signs, and have blocked our front walkway from the street, even though they were informed we needed it for handicap access. They have caused damage to our property, and have not taken responsibility for it, thus causing us to pay for all of their damage to our property. The workers use really bad cuss words that our children and guests are exposed to nearly every time they go into the back yard. The worker’s music is so loud that we are forced to hear it while in our house, with the doors and windows closed. Catering trucks honk their loud horns about six times in a row, when they arrive several times a day.

Overall additional stress in our family’s lives caused by 14 months of not being able to rest during the day, 14 months of not being able to go outside and enjoy our backyard or open windows because of loud music, cussing, diesel fumes, dust and dirt blowing, and noise. Not being able to sleep past 6:30 am as the trucks lined up outside our windows for 14 months including Saturdays and holidays.

What do you think is good “contractor etiquette?” It would be nice to get an opinion on how dealing with construction on your block can be more cordial than what we experienced. I would like to know some dos and don’ts for both builders, and the neighbors of the house going up.
Thank you.
Unhappy Neighbor

Dear Unhappy Neighbor,
Home building and remodeling is a tough situation for both home owners, builders, and their neighbors. Here are some ideas that would make the experience pleasant for both sides.

When construction is about to begin, home owner and/or builder should have a polite discussion with the neighbors about what the expectations are from both sides. The home owner and builder should approach the neighbors, but if they don’t, the neighbors should take the initiative, and try to establish a friendly rapport. The home owner obviously wants the job done as quickly as possible, but home owner and builder need to gage the lifestyle of the neighbors around them. This may seem like an impossible task to a builder, but telling their employees not curse because there are children on the block, and not to play music during nap time, are not unreasonable requests.

Parking can always be worked out on the block. If a worker asks for permission to park in front of a house, and tells the neighbor how long he will be there, a cordial discussion of where to park can then be worked out. Otherwise, the neighbors will typically feel imposed upon, and resent the whole project. As for the diesel fumes, dust and dirt blowing, and noise, I am sure you would have overlooked a lot of these issues that are often unavoidable, if you would have felt like the home owner and builder were doing their best to communicate politely, and were working with your family to accommodate your situation(s).

Construction is always an inconvenience, but it can be an okay experience if everyone works together, and compromises through direct and cordial communication.