They say workers are starting drilling before 7am some mornings at the site in Lothian Road.

Builders recently started work on a glass extension to the concert hall that will house a cafe-bar, a box office, and hospitality suites. The work is expected to take around 18 months.

Suzanne Wishart, who lives next door to the hall, said residents should have been warned about the early morning noise.

Mrs Wishart, 42, a pension claims administrator, said: "It's been a nightmare. It's like living next to a building site. The drilling is really loud, and sometimes the whole building shakes.

"The fact they didn't bother to inform us about what was going to happen is really bad. The way we've been treated is appalling.

"The generators start at 6.35am and the JCBs start at 6.45am."

She and her husband David, 44, have also complained about "intrusive" Portakabins, stacked on top of each other just outside their second floor window.

Mr Wishart, a bus driver, said he had to work late and the early morning building work meant he was getting as little as four hours' sleep a night.

He said: "We live right next door, but we were never consulted. The first we knew was when they stuck the double Portakabins outside our living room window."

A burst water main, which left neighbours without water for 18 hours, was the "last straw", he added.

Linda McKie, 50, a university professor who lives upstairs from the Wisharts, said the disturbance made it difficult to work from home. She said: "The noise has been so bad I've had to move my work into the kitchen. This is affecting everybody in the building.

"To me, the real problem has been the lack of communication. It hasn't been clear how long this will go on."

The council has awarded a £2.9 million contract to Balfour Kirkpatrick for mechanical and electrical services and the upgrade of existing services at the hall.

Usher Hall general manager Karl Chapman said: "A number of public consultation events were held in the lead up to work starting on the refurbishment of the Usher Hall. These events were well-attended and gave local residents and businesses an opportunity to find out about the project and the impact on the community.

"We are aware some residents have specific concerns and we are liaising with them on an individual basis.

"The current phase of refurbishment involves digging out foundations, which can be both a noisy and messy business."

Scottish Water engineers repaired the burst main at the site yesterday. They said around 80 households lost their water for a few hours.

A Scottish Water spokesman said: "The burst was reported shortly before midnight last night, but because the site was locked our engineers were unable to gain access."