Pipe site: relocation/renewal of pipes behind the rear house

Hello everyone!

I want to build a house this year; the plot has already been found.
It is located in Reinbek (Schleswig-Holstein) and is not yet developed.

It is a kind of "pipe plot," meaning that behind the property there is another plot, whose access is via my property. On the rear plot stands the house of my parents.

The problem is the supply lines (gas, water, telephone, electricity) to my parents' house, which of course also run through my property.
Unfortunately, the exact route is not known; I have already asked all suppliers and received plans, but these contradict old drawings my grandfather made at the time.
The only certainty is that the lines run near the border to the neighboring property, but exactly where is unknown.

And that is exactly the problem:
It may be that the lines can remain there, but it is also possible that they need to be relocated/replaced.
This very uncertainty is troubling me because it is not possible to calculate the costs.

The following needs to be clarified:
1. Determination of the exact position
2. Once the position is fixed, clarification of whether the lines may remain or not.

Regarding 1.
Is there a way (other than digging) to determine the exact position of supply lines?
Otherwise someone would have to take a spade and dig two or three trial trenches (starting from the border) until the lines are found. Then connect the positions, and that would reasonably establish the route.
This raises the question whether the distances have to be "officially" determined by an authorized company or whether it is sufficient to do it oneself.

Regarding 2.
Are there regulations about how close a new house may be built to existing supply lines?
Certainly still important in this context: We are building without a basement.
Still, you probably cannot build a house over supply lines because you have to be able to access the lines without tearing the house down ;o)

A constructed example:
Assumption: The gas line runs parallel to the neighbor's border at a distance of 3m.
How close can you build to the border without having to relocate the gas line?
I could imagine that different lines have different regulations. A power cable is not as "dangerous" as, for example, a gas line.

Unfortunately, the plot is quite small, so we cannot just "shift" the house arbitrarily. We want to build up to 3m from the border.

I would be happy if someone could give a helpful tip, and I thank you in advance!

Best regards,

Björn

Regarding 1.) Power cables are easy to detect because they emit nicely. You need a cable locator device for this (just type that into Google). No idea if you can rent one. Civil engineering companies that work for the local power supplier have such a device. In an emergency, try asking there with a tip in hand. No idea how to detect the other cables.

Regarding 2.) Each supplier determines how close buildings and other cables can come to "their" cables. This is usually in the range of 30 to 50 cm distance horizontally and vertically. Just ask.

Hello Björn!

To find the line, there are now locating systems. However, you should have the possibility to give the line a "signal."

Alternative: Manual excavation, as you described.

For further planning, you should consult your AR, there are some things including distances to consider, but you can't manage that here without plans. A land register inquiry can also help, possibly pipeline rights/easements are registered and maybe you can find corresponding plans in old building files.

So also check the file at the building authority, possibly also look in old (city) archives if it is very old.

Best regards
Dirk Grafe

Hi! I already suspected that it could mean architect... Problem: I don’t have an architect yet, since I’m still stuck in calculating the costs. And in my case apparently: No architect, no cost estimate and without exact costs no architect... We are building in Schleswig Holstein, so the contact of an architect responsible for Hamburg probably won’t help. But maybe the Hamburg architect can provide a contact to an SH architect. You could just ask the architect, without having to hire him for the house construction right away. Therefore, I would be grateful for the contact. Can you send it to me via private message or email? My email address ist von der Moderation aus Datenschutzgründen entfernt worden, also per PN bitte. Thanks and best regards, Björn

It is a kind of "pipe property," meaning that there is another property behind the property, whose access is via my property. The house of my parents is located on the rear property.

Your parents' property would be the pipe stem property in this case - not yours.
The access is the stem, the mostly rectangular land parcel called the pipe bowl.

We are building in Schleswig-Holstein, so the contact of an architect responsible for Hamburg probably won't help. But maybe the Hamburg architect can refer to a contact with an SH architect.

To my knowledge, there are no state borders or restrictions for architects. Nevertheless, it can of course be helpful if the architect is familiar with the SH building regulations.
But one can probably assume that architects from Hamburg will be familiar with the NDS as well as SH regulations.

Regards Yvonne

Hi!

Unfortunately, Dirk's contact could not contribute much to the solution either, a pity.
Well, now I am continuing to look for someone who can answer my questions.

First, however, it is probably necessary to locate the lines precisely and then think further.

I will open a separate thread for this, and once I have found someone who can dig it up for me, we will continue here.

Best regards,

Björn