The work, which has been ongoing for seven months, has caused tensions between neighbours in the area12:53, 29 May 2026A woman has asked if she is in the wrong for telling her neighbour that fellow residents dislike the construction work being done to her home. Taking to Reddit for advice, a user called @Sad-Clerk-3161 explained that her neighbour has had building work done on her house for the last seven months, often starting as early as 8am.‌On the subreddit 'Am I The A******', the original poster (OP) said: "I (23f) have a neighbour who's been at their house for just over a year. For seven months out of that year, they've had basically non-stop construction and work being done to their house. I have no idea what they could possibly be doing."‌The OP claims that the construction is Monday to Saturday, usually starting at 8am, but sometimes "even earlier". She added: "Not only is the construction itself loud, but the workers are loud. They're always yelling, singing, playing music. If you ask them to be quieter because it's 8am on a Saturday, they retaliate and get louder.‌"They throw stuff into people's gardens and physically enter those gardens to retrieve whatever they threw down. Their vans block the roads when people are trying to get to work/school and they get really p**** when asked to move them. Additionally, because our houses are attached, I'm having physical symptoms to the work being done (vibrations from tools giving me horrific migraines, etc)."She said she "genuinely" does not know what they could be doing that requires seven months of continuous work. "It's not an extension and all the work seems to be exterior," she said.‌"A few days ago, the neighbour asked me why there is so much tension between her and the surrounding houses. Maybe I'm cruel, but I looked at her and said, '[Neighbour], you've had loud construction work at your house every day for the past seven months. People are tired.'"The OP claims the neighbour looked "genuinely upset" but said: "Okay". The OP went on to claim the neighbour's husband confronted her and said she was being 'rude' for "getting mad at construction work".The OP added: "He accused me of blaming his wife for the worker's behaviour (which I wasn't) and said the house needs this work to be liveable. He ended the conversation by saying he prays my house never needs construction work, which I honestly found kind of funny."‌At the end of the post, the OP said: "AITA for telling my neighbour why there's tension between her and her husband and the surrounding families? EDIT: people have made complaints and gone to the local council. We were basically told that as long as the noise is between 8am and 6pm (and 8am-1pm), we can't make a complaint. Neighbours do have permits as well."Many people shared their thoughts and opinions in the comment section. One person said: "NTA. She asked and you answered her honestly. 7 months is a really long time for daily construction to be going on."‌Another said: "NTA bc construction isn’t the issue anymore, it’s the complete lack of consideration for everybody living around it. She asked why people were tense and you answered way more politely than most people would after seven months of chaos."Someone else said: "They're allowed to have construction, you're all allowed to be upset abt it. NAH but she shouldn't be asking questions she's not ready for the answer to." Another claimed: "Most places allow noisy work to start at 7am. I've seen a lot of lawn care companies start as early as 6am making all the noise in the world. You can't get mad over that."‌What time can builders legally start work in the UK?Construction noise can be really annoying, especially in the early mornings when workers start taking advantage of the longer daylight. This often leaves many people, including nightshift workers and families, having a hard time getting enough sleep. But residents don’t have to put up with the noise, as local authorities have regulations to address the issue under the Control of Pollution Act 1974.However, this isn't always straightforward, as building firm Country Construction warns: "In general, there isn't one single nationwide rule that dictates when building work can begin each day." Most UK councils permit construction noise from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays. Sundays and Bank Holidays are generally off-limits for noisy work, though quiet activities may be tolerated outside these hours.Local rules vary significantly across different areas. Westminster allows work 8am-6pm weekdays and 8am-1pm Saturdays, while Hartlepool permits earlier starts at 7.30am on weekdays. Noisy work includes hammering, drilling, sawing and operating loud machinery like cement mixers.Article continues belowEven construction deliveries with reversing beepers can be deemed disruptive by councils. Residents affected by construction noise can complain to their local council, which can investigate and issue stop notices if necessary.