Reinstating your boundary after extreme weather damage

This guide tells you what steps to take to reinstate a boundary following an extreme weather event such as fire, flood or storm damage, and where you can go for advice.

Extreme weather events are becoming more regular due to global climate change and society will need to adapt accordingly. Fire, floods and storm damage do not respect human-made boundaries; natural disasters can easily destroy established fences and boundary features.

Post-disaster event repairs and damage assessments can often highlight the difficulties of reinstating the line of the legal boundary. Establishing the boundary line of your property ownership is one of the first steps of making a property a home again. When returning to a property after a major environmental event such as fire, flooding or a storm the area will look and feel very different. This sense of change will affect not only you but also your neighbours, making the task of reinstating shared legal boundaries difficult. The key to a swift return to normality will be communication and trust between neighbours.

• Do not make assumptions about the boundary line when you return to the property without talking with your neighbour

• If you live in an area that has experienced extreme weather events, it is important to maintain boundaries and ensure they do not fall into disrepair

• If some or all of your boundaries are not clearly defined it is important to ensure that you and your neighbour understand and agree where the boundary is

An expert chartered surveyor can help, this consumer guide should be read in conjunction with RICS Find a Surveyor - RICS Consumer Guide: Boundary Disputes (ricsfirms.com)