Hello!
I hope this is the right subforum.
Here is the situation: Our neighbors are currently excavating about 0.50 - 0.6 m (20 - 24 inches) away from our garage to a depth of approximately 1.50 - 1.80 m (59 - 71 inches). Our garage is built on strip foundations. I don’t know the exact depth of these, but I assume they extend to a maximum of 80 cm (31 inches). No underpinning, shoring, or battering/sloping was done during the excavation. About 0.5 m (20 inches) from our garage, the ground is now excavated straight down to at least 1.50 m (59 inches) depth.
According to my understanding of standards like DIN 4123, if no additional underpinning measures are taken, excavation up to 2 m (6.5 ft) next to the garage should only go to a maximum of 50 cm (20 inches) above the foundation base, which is about 30 cm (12 inches) deep. Only beyond 2 m (6.5 ft) distance can excavation be carried out deeper with a proper slope or batter. Otherwise, appropriate section-by-section underpinning should be carried out professionally.
Are my concerns about the structural stability of the garage foundations justified, or am I mistaken? We have already spoken with the neighbors, but they rely on their contractor. If my concerns are valid, what would be reasonable next steps I can take to ensure the stability of the garage? The location is the federal state of Hesse.
I would really appreciate any advice anyone can offer here.
I hope this is the right subforum.
Here is the situation: Our neighbors are currently excavating about 0.50 - 0.6 m (20 - 24 inches) away from our garage to a depth of approximately 1.50 - 1.80 m (59 - 71 inches). Our garage is built on strip foundations. I don’t know the exact depth of these, but I assume they extend to a maximum of 80 cm (31 inches). No underpinning, shoring, or battering/sloping was done during the excavation. About 0.5 m (20 inches) from our garage, the ground is now excavated straight down to at least 1.50 m (59 inches) depth.
According to my understanding of standards like DIN 4123, if no additional underpinning measures are taken, excavation up to 2 m (6.5 ft) next to the garage should only go to a maximum of 50 cm (20 inches) above the foundation base, which is about 30 cm (12 inches) deep. Only beyond 2 m (6.5 ft) distance can excavation be carried out deeper with a proper slope or batter. Otherwise, appropriate section-by-section underpinning should be carried out professionally.
Are my concerns about the structural stability of the garage foundations justified, or am I mistaken? We have already spoken with the neighbors, but they rely on their contractor. If my concerns are valid, what would be reasonable next steps I can take to ensure the stability of the garage? The location is the federal state of Hesse.
I would really appreciate any advice anyone can offer here.
R
Ratsuchender2515 Sep 2025 22:25ypg schrieb:
Went really well!
What I'm curious about: what did the neighbors say about the project? Did they mention their plans? Size of the pool, etc.? The pool is supposed to be about 6 x 3 m (20 x 10 feet). The neighbors were, of course, not happy.
We also would have preferred if it hadn’t come to this. We had always tried to talk and already expressed our concerns about the structural stability weeks before the work started. Even during the excavation, we raised our concerns again and referred to DIN 4123. However, we were told that their contractor knew what he was doing, so we announced that we would seek the building authority’s opinion on Monday.
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hanghaus202315 Sep 2025 22:36Thank you for the feedback. Everything was done correctly.
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Gerddieter15 Sep 2025 22:44Transparent communication – well done!
In der Ruine16 Sep 2025 11:55Tolentino schrieb:
Oh, I could already imagine having a South Seas panorama with a sunset over a bay of Koh Samui spray-painted on a garage wall – of course only with the garage owner’s permission.Let’s see how the neighborly relationship changes. An incident like this, which involves more effort and probably also additional costs, can definitely dampen the mood. Neighbors have fallen out over less.
I had no understanding for the first case, but exactly for the second one. This was a clear example of work done without proper consideration.
I remember a case in Saarland that I will never forget, where a house foundation was exposed and everything collapsed. And if you look for examples, you will find dozens where exactly this happened.
I remember a case in Saarland that I will never forget, where a house foundation was exposed and everything collapsed. And if you look for examples, you will find dozens where exactly this happened.