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We have been struggling for over a year to get our local water company to design and quote for laying on our sewage pipe under our residential road (we have clean water sorted). South West Water have been unable to quote (too busy) and all suppliers are reliant on them. We were originally quoted £50K verbally but all quotes from private suppliers are coming in at £150K plus - a lot of this seems to be quoting based on massive housing developments and we will be the only house using it and are not allowed a water treatment plan on site. Much of the cost seems to be associated with road closure, hiring kit and dealing with South West Water. We are on a two ended quiet residential street, not a main through road. I am sure I am not the only self builder who has this challenge. Has anyone come across a pragmatic and sensible provider we could approach (South West UK)

Hi - I have just joined this site and would like some advice. I am just purchasing a couple of acres of land which comes with planning permission for a new dwelling. There are two relatively small power poles on the site (not near the dwelling site). According to the solicitors and title deeds there are no easements or way leave agreements in place. Has anyone ever had any experience with utility companies and wayleave agreements and whether if there is any risk in in the power company claiming rights over the land despite the absence of any agreement. Many thanks

I was just chatting to a setting-out engineer. He was urging me to check with each and every utility for any services under my plot before the screw piles go in. Mine is a rear garden plot and I am almost certain there is nothing there. The legal search at purchase-time revealed nothing. All the services are accounted for in the access road next to the plot. There are no manholes on the plot. There are no obvious reasons why any service would cross it. There is only one old terracotta land drain that I know about on the plot. On the other hand, the piles will descend up to 8 metres. I am reluctant to spend the time and cost of contacting every utility. Am I being foolish?

Had the pre site check the other day to see if the trenching we had done prior to the electric being installed and everything was fine until the guy went into the house and said the incoming main was positioned to far inside the house, it was meant to be no further than two metres from the outside wall. I explained I had spoken to someone about this when I first contacted ENWL and that it was a Passive house and I did not want unnecessary penetrations in the house walls. I should add that it is not possible to have an exterior cabinet anywhere so our only option was to bring it up inside the house, a distance of approx 4 metres of cable length. He was not happy and went away to make a phone call. The reason for posting this is I asked to speak to the person on the other end of the phone and explained the situation and that I had told ENWL at the beginning what I was planning. She was very understanding and accepted the fact that we would have a 4 metre run of cable under the house and that they would have to look at Passive principles in more detail. Hope this helps somebody in the future

Stupid question alert. We have finally located our water supply (without breaking through it with a digger bucket ) and hope to get some advice on how to run a temporary and then permanent supply. We will be living in the current house still for a few months so need to keep a supply to the house. We need a temporary supply directly to our caravan and outside loo for the duration of the build. We will also need to provide access to water for the build (some sort of tap set up?). The meter / stopcock is not at the boundary (over the other side of the road). We have located the pipe at the boundary. Can we turn the meter off, cut the water pipe, install some sort of three way connector in to take the supply in different directions and then, when we knock the main house down, cap off the bit of the pipe that serves the house? Firstly, is this in any way a sensible thought? If not, what do you suggest? If it is, are we allowed to do it or do we have to notify Thames Water and pay them to do it?

Hi All, I'm currently looking to buy a friend's plot (land next to his property) and have been checking with the service providers if there is anything under the plot, however this seems to be tricky. It seems to be mixed with free services or paid for searches. I have obtained a free map from National Grid, Affitnity Water which shows the gas and water apparatus in my area and also a report from the linesearchbeforeudig website. However these generally only show mains pipes on the road and not on the plot of land itself. Thames water have also confirmed there are no assets of theirs in the plot area. As i'm trying to be prudent, I know I can either: 1) hire a solicitor to carry out searches which can range up to £600 for a full utilities search. 2) hire a surveyor to carry out a full Underground utilities survey using Ground Penetrating Radar which can range around £1000 Does anyone have any advice on the best way to obtain services information before starting the design process? Did you carry out utilities survey (or anything else?) before investing money into an architect and planning fees? My main aim is to find any potential risks as early as possible. Many thanks for your help.

A visit to the NSBRC taught me that I should ask the various Utility companies to come out and mark their services for me - rather than poke around below ground myself and see if there was smoke in these pipes or wet stuff in those. Got the paper work sorted out, got the official map for the water pipes. Asked for Mr Water Utility to pay me a visit, which he promptly did. Me: Hi, I'm keen not to put a digger bucket through your pipes - would you be kind enough to tell me where the water pipe is? Mr Utility: Sorry mate, can't do that. Have you got our official map? Me: Yes, I have: it's a bit vague. But you high-tech Utility people have got things like CAT scanners and stethoscopes and diving rods and all sorts like that. And, the key thing is you know what you are doing. I don't. Mr Utility: Nahhh, we don't do that, 'aven't got a scanner and I gave away my last pair of diving rods the other day (I am not taking the pi55 here) Me: so what are you suggesting then? Mr Utility: Just dig an 'ole son. (I'm an old codger of 63 you know!) Me: But the point of me asking you here today is to get an authoritative opinion on where your water supply runs. What happens if I discover a pipe which isn't a water pipe, and, as a result of the misidentified pipe, I dig through yours? Mr Utility: Ah, well..... Just dig an 'ole..... it'll be reet.... Two days later, I get a receipt from United Utlities thanking me for prompt payment for £50. Deducted from my account. Is my crossness justified?