Do I need my neighbour’s permission to build a new pool?
Case Study – Parkdale
Some pool installations may require permission from neighbours to use their property if access points are blocked or difficult to use, especially if a crane is involved.
If there are powerlines or other objects blocking the access, you may need to get authorisation from your neighbours to see if they are willing to allow their property to be used in the installation process.
Below is a detailed case study of a recent project where permission was required from neighbours to be able to position the crane and hoist the fibreglass pool over a neighbouring house.
Site visit – how is the access?
Situated between the suburbs of Mordialloc and Mentone, Victoria street Parkdale was our next big job, with the installation of an 8×4 metre Valentina pool. After arriving on site, we discovered that site access for excavators and other machinery was fairly normal and would not cause too many issues.
However, there was insufficient room in the front garden for a crane to lift the pool shell into the backyard. Powerlines at the front of the property meant that the crane wouldn’t be able to reach the backyard, and a large gum tree made the situation even more difficult with no space in the front garden.
This meant that the crane would have to be anchored somewhere else to avoid the powerlines and the tree.
Why would you need the neighbour’s permission?
In order to lower the fibreglass pool shell into the back yard, the neighbours’ consent was required to use their properties. Permission was needed from both the house on the left, which the pool would be lifted over, as well as the house to the left of that where the crane would need to be placed (see image 1.1 for more information).
Without getting their permission, the pool would have to be installed by a concrete pool builder which wouldn’t require the use of a crane, but this would drastically increase the costs. Our customer relationship manager spoke to the residents to ensure that they understood how the crane would be set up, it’s location and how the process would work.
How do you get the neighbour’s permission to install your pool?
Our client was advised to first speak to the furthest neighbour to see if they would give them permission to set up the crane in their front yard. There was a large patch of grass at the front of the neighbours house, which made a perfect spot the position the 35 tonne crane.
Once the owner of the house had agreed to have the crane sit in his front yard, a conversation with the next door neighbours made it clear that everyone was in agreement. The pool would be hoisted over the middle house and lowered into the garden.
We supplied public liability and insurance letters to the neighbours to ensure that they were comfortable with the process, should any unforeseen circumstances arise during the pool installation.
What does this pool installation look like?
The initial excavation process went smoothly and the pool shell was ready to be lifted in. The pool was delivered to the site by truck, and taken to the neighbours house where the crane was waiting. With the positioning of the crane, the pool was able to be successfully hoisted over the neighbours house and down into position.
The installation went exactly as planned and there were no issues with the crane or any other aspects of installing the new pool. Thanks to the co-operation of the neighbours, the entire process went according to plan.
Summary
This installation goes to show how well our team at Master Pools handle difficult situations that other pool builders may find too hard to attempt. Whether it’s powerlines blocking access to your property or you need permission from your neighbours, Master Pools knows how to handle any situation to get your new pool installed quicker.
You can read some more case studies on installation here, or if you’re interested in a free site visit to discuss your new fibreglass pool build in South East Melbourne, Bayside, Mornington Peninsula or surrounding suburbs please contact our construction experts here.
Img 1.1- Pool Crane Diagram
Fibreglass Pool Shell Crane Lift