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Contractors, roofers, etc.: is 3 1/2 to 4 ft enough clearance to work on a bungalow with a pitched roof?

I have an old house, built during WWII. It is detached, small, with a pitched roof that pitches toward the front and back yards. Here is the layout of my street:

Looking at the fronts of the houses and going from left to right, you have House A, a 4-ft border belonging to House A, the 6-7 foot-wide driveway for House B, House B, the 4-ft border belonging to House B, etc.

I want to fence in my property, because my neighbors on both sides misuse their properties, and this often results in their trespassing on mine, and posing a threat to the integrity of my houses structure, etc.

I have checked bylaw and know that I have the right to put in a fence on both sides, with the fence being 6 feet high for the backyard, and for the length of the house, and then 3 ft high from the end of the house down to the end of my property line, near the street.

I am ready to go this coming year, but I have one concern, and it is this:

If I put the fence up 6 ft high just inside the property-line on my border side, I will only have just over 3.5 ft clearance between the house and the fence.

Is this enough room for workers -- contractors fixing or putting on new siding, roofers, window installers, etc. -- to work?

My house is one level, with a crawl space -- no raised basement, or anything like that -- so, even though it has a pitched roof, it is 30 ft tops from the ground to the point of my roof.

And, yes, there is enough clearance on the other three sides of my house -- my driveway, the front yard, and the back.

If you are a contractor, or work in the industry, please let me know your opinion -- whether or not really hate working within such a restriction, for example -- not just if it is "doable". I want to be sure that I am not going to have trouble getting a contractor to do work because I created such a cramped space. Also, anyone else, if you have a similar situation -- like there is near-zero space between your and your neighbor's house -- let me know how you handled it, and how it worked out.

Thanks in advance.

1 Answer

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  • 7 years ago
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    when I work on a home that has a fence along side it. if its too close and there is risk of me damaging the fence, I make the roofers walk over to the edge to throw off the old shingles instead of giving them a kick. so, you'll be fine. put up the fence!! good fences make good neighbors!! of course, if its a stucco house, then yes, there would be a chance that its too close because they usually need to set up scaffolding. but, if they want that job, then they can climb a ladder like the rest of us. 4' is plenty enough room from the edge of the roof to get any of my ladders up,

    Source(s): lic. contractor
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