We offer a full suite of services to protect your property, your occupants and your pocketbook.
Areas of Specialization
Insurance
We make sure that before your neighbor lifts a hammer they have the right insurance in place. The laws in NYC are unique and expose property owners to extraordinary liability when construction workers are injured. It's crucial to make sure that the owner and contractor have insurance that covers them and you for all the potential claims that may arise from their project. It isn't enough to get insurance certificates from the neighbor - we actually review their insurance policies to make sure they don't have important exclusions that save the contractor money but expose you to unnecessary risk.
pre-construction survey
Before construction commences we will photo-document and create a report detailing the existing condition of your property. This report will be used later on to identify any damage done, make sure it's repaired and alleviate any disputes as to the cause of the damage.
safety plans
We ensure that your neighbor has a logistical plan to protect you and your property from injury / damage. Our professionals review the neighbors' plans with respect to safety, noise and dust mitigation, and preserving the integrity of your property. We also negotiate work hours including weekend, evenings and holidays to ensure that construction doesn't interfere with your life more than is necessary.
cash compensation
In most of the cases we handle, the developer who is building next door to you requests access to enter your property - usually your roof or rear yard. We make sure that they fairly compensate you for the use of your property. That means cash in your pocket. We negotiate the terms of these arrangements regularly and understand what amounts are fair to both sides.
Single Point of Contact
One of the most frustrating things about dealing with construction next door is the sheer volume of time it takes up in your life. Neighbor Advisors knows that your time is precious and our consulting model is designed to help save you time which can better spent on… just about anything else. We act as a single point of contact for the developer, contractors, attorneys, engineers, insurance experts and all the other professionals who need to be consulted, managed, followed up with and vetted, reporting back to you at every stage. We spend our time so you can have some peace, and peace of mind.
plan review by a licensed engineer
We will make sure that your neighbor's plans are reviewed by a licensed structural engineer and that their project is designed to mitigate any negative impact to your property.
Construction Monitoring
We monitor the construction from start to finish. In most cases, once the access agreement is signed, you are on your own for ongoing construction issues. Neighbor Advisors will continue to be involved, doing regular site inspections and monitoring the construction process, from demolition and excavation, to final completion and clean up. We make sure that before the developer finishes their project they have repaired any damage resulting from the construction, cleaned up the site and removed any scaffolding, roof protection and debris that might be left.
legal referral
If needed, we can refer you to a law firm that we work very closely with, which specializes in New York construction law. If you have an attorney we will happily work with them, acting as the single point of contact. Whether you have your own attorney or work with one we recommend, we will ensure that before your neighbor starts work you will have an agreement that that protects you. While we work closely with attorneys to document the agreement with your neighbor, we take a leading role in the interaction with your neighbor. Our multi-disciplinary approach ultimately costs less and takes far less time than attorneys that charge hourly and have an incentive to slow down the process to bill more.