Party Wall Surveyor
Party Wall Surveyors in London & South East
Helping Resolve Party Wall disputes quickly and effectively.
If you are reading this, chances are you’re in dispute about your Party Wall or are concerned about it, and are looking for a Chartered Surveyor to act on your behalf. Luckily you are in the right place.
Acting as your Appointed Surveyor, we are here to ensure a fair Party Wall Award is achieved whilst protecting your interests.
What is party wall agreement Act 1996
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 is designed to resolve any disputes surrounding Party Walls (shared walls), boundary walls and works within 3 or 6 metres of your neighbours’ property. As a Building Owner you must give notice of these works in advance and your neighbour must consent to the works within 14 days of you giving Notice.
If this doesn’t happen you will be ‘in dispute’, at which point you will need to appoint a Party Wall Surveyor to come to an agreement with your neighbours’ Surveyor. This is known as a ‘Party Wall Award’.
This process can be long winded, costly and stressful. But by taking professional advice from a Party Wall Surveyor at an early stage you can prevent a lot of hassle down the line.
What is Party Wall Act 1996 Covers
- New building works on or at the boundary.
- Work to be done to an existing Party Wall or Party Structure.
- Excavation near to or below the foundation level of neighbouring buildings or structures. For example, this may include:
- Cutting into a Party Wall
- Changing the size of a Party Wall
- Removing a chimney breast or stack from a Party Wall
- Rebuilding a Party Wall
- Digging below the foundations of a neighbour’s property
The Party Wall Act 1996 Does Not Include:
In general the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 will not include aesthetic changes, or minor building works such as:
- Installing or replacing rawl plugs
- Affixing wall units or shelving
- Minor electrical works such as fixing wiring or sockets
- Replastering walls
How We Can Help You in Party Wall Disputes and party wall notice?
- Providing a comprehensive review and offering impartial advice to both you and your neighbours.
- Liaising with any third parties such as architects, solicitors or builders to ensure all bases are covered.
- Serving and dealing with formal Notices from our offices.
- Inspecting and agreeing Schedules of Condition.
- Negotiating Party Wall Awards.
Acting as an impartial third party, it’s our duty to ensure that building work is undertaken in accordance with the Act and goes ahead without any unnecessary delay. In many cases we are appointed as the ‘Agreed Surveyor’ for both parties, which is both cheaper and more efficient for you and your neighbours.
We are committed to providing transparent, easy-to-understand advice
Speak to one of our Party Wall Surveyors about how we can help you today:
Our Survey services
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A Party Wall Notice is a formal written notice served under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, informing your neighbours of planned building work that will affect a shared wall, boundary, or nearby excavation, before that work begins.
You have three options — consent to the works, dissent and agree on a shared “Agreed Surveyor” with your neighbour, or dissent and appoint your own surveyor, and it’s also advisable to have a schedule of condition taken to record your property’s state before work starts.
The statutory notice period is two months for work directly to a party wall, or one month for new boundary walls and excavation work, though the full process can take longer if your neighbour dissents and surveyors need to negotiate and issue a formal Award.
A surveyor becomes necessary once a dispute is deemed to exist under the Act — this happens if your neighbour formally dissents to your notice, or doesn’t respond within 14 days, which counts as deemed dissent and automatically triggers the surveyor appointment process.
Yes, if your proposed works fall under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 and your neighbour hasn’t given written consent, you need a Party Wall Award (agreement) in place before starting, since proceeding without one risks an injunction halting your project.
The Act covers work directly to a party wall such as cutting in beams, raising or underpinning it, or removing a chimney breast, as well as building a new wall on the boundary line and excavation within 3 metres (or in some cases 6 metres) of a neighbouring building’s foundations.
Costs vary depending on the complexity of the works and whether a single Agreed Surveyor or two separate surveyors are appointed, with straightforward cases typically cheaper than disputes involving basements or multiple adjoining owners, so a tailored quote is the most accurate way to know your likely cost.
By default, the building owner carrying out the works pays all reasonable surveyor fees, including the adjoining owner’s surveyor, since it’s their project triggering the need for the process.
If your neighbour doesn’t respond within 14 days, this counts as deemed dissent, which automatically triggers the formal surveyor-appointment process, so ignoring a notice doesn’t stop the works, it simply removes your neighbour’s input into how the process is managed.
No, starting notifiable works without the required consent or Award in place is a breach of the Act, and your neighbour can seek an injunction to stop the work until the correct process has been followed.
A schedule of condition taken before work begins allows surveyors to assess whether any damage has occurred as a result of the works, and the Party Wall Award will typically set out how any such damage should be made good, usually at the building owner’s expense.
Yes, the Act applies to any qualifying works affecting a shared wall, structure, or nearby excavation regardless of whether the properties involved are residential or commercial.