Dormer construction, semi-detached house, wooden structure, neighborhood dispute

As the owner of a semi-detached house, I want to build a dormer that ends at the boundary on the wall of the shared party wall. My architect has already prepared a building application to be submitted to the building authority. This is a timber construction. Can the neighbor— even after approval by the building authority— subsequently raise objections that the dormer ending on the shared party wall must be designed in a fireproof manner (masonry wall)? The neighbor already has a dormer, which, however, ends about 2 meters before the shared party wall.

Hi!

Why should the neighbor worry about this point? If your half of the house is on fire, the neighbor's airspace adjacent to your dormer – [Luftraum] – does not burn.

In the opposite case, however, your house will go up in flames as well. By the way, there is such a house here – and it looks really sh... . Walkers find it amusing, and in a possible later sale, both halves of the house will pay the price – and this thought could certainly disturb the neighborly peace.

Here, a little piece of wall without a slope would therefore be bought at a very high price!

Regards,
Tomtom.

Hello,

As the owner of a semi-detached house, I want to build a dormer that ends at a boundary on the wall of the shared party wall. My architect has already prepared a building application to be submitted to the building authority.

I hope for you that he has inquired in advance about the feasibility of boundary construction; usually, dormers must maintain a distance of between 1.5 m and up to 3.0 m at the peak from the neighbor.

It is a wooden construction. Can the neighbor— even after approval by the building authority— subsequently raise objections that the dormer end, which ends on the shared party wall, must be designed with a fireproof construction (masonry wall)? The neighbor already has a dormer, but it ends about 2 m before the shared party wall.

The building authority will probably require you— if it agrees to this approach at all— that your neighbor must consent; this consent has nothing to do with the type of construction, but with the resulting boundary construction and all disadvantages for your neighbor.

Kind regards

Hello!

Normally, a minimum distance between the dormer wall and the neighboring wall must be maintained. In our case of a semi-detached house, this is 1.25 m according to NRW building regulations. If the neighbor gives their consent, it may be possible to fall below the minimum distance. If the minimum distance is undershot, the dormer wall facing the neighboring building must be constructed with a fire protection rating of F90.

Regards T.H.