My garage has been built over a manhole If you want to know how your DIY projects could be affected by building and planning regulations, click here to post questions and view answers

[janeb]

I moved into my house almost 3 years ago. The house was built in 1945 and the previous owners added a cincrete sectional garage in 1996. After the sale had gone through the previous owners gave me a number of documents relating to the house, including a letter from the local Authority confirming that planning permission was not required for the garage,

I am now having some work done on the outside of the house, including replacing old paving slabs. I have just discovered that the garage wall has actually been built over a manhole. The cover has been removed and the wall crosses over one corner of the drain and has been carefully disguised, by the paving slabs on the outside and the positioning of a cupboard on the inside of the garage.

I don't know where that leaves me. Will I have to demolish the garage, reposition the manhole, or are there any other options? And surely this should have shown up on the survey! Is it better to contact my solicitor before I do anything else? Help!!!

[stoneyboy]

janeb,
You really need someone to give you on-site advice. If you are lucky it may be possible to modify the size of the manhole and leave the garage wall intact.
I doubt you will get anywhere with your solicitor other than a massive bill. The surveyor who carried out your property survey should have identified this problem but you will find the report is full of exclusions.
end

[DevilDamo]

Has the manhole in that location caused any problems in the past? If not, why change it? The works you're doing do not require planning/building regulation approval so nobody is to know any different.