Planning a Project?
The Party Wall Act defines those conducting building projects as the ‘Building Owner
The Building Owner has a legal duty to provide notification to all nearby property owners about planned activities.
Serving Party Wall Notice to adjoining owners becomes necessary when you conduct projects which include these specific works:
- excavating within 3-6 metres of your property
- cutting into a shared party wall
- removing a chimney breast
- increasing or decreasing the height of a party wall
Notifying Neighbours Before Starting Works
Building owners have to notify their neighbours about their building plans for work covered by the Act that they wish to execute before commencing.
After a Party Wall Notice reaches your neighbours, they can choose to give consent or dissent to the relevant works.
Building owners can start their proposed works after obtaining the consent of the adjoining neighbours. If they do not provide consent, then a dispute has arisen and an inspector will need to be appointed to represent them.
Surveys will become necessary to handle disputes under the Party Wall Act whenever adjoining owners choose not to agree to the Party Wall Notice. Inspectors must establish both the process of work execution and how costs are to be defrayed. A Party Wall Award defines the terms of this agreement (i.e. Party Wall Agreement London document).
Improve your Home with Reduced Party Wall Fees
The unbiased administration of the Party Wall Act by our panel enables neighbours to cooperate more easily which helps decrease project stress and costs. Your inspector will make it easy for you to carry out compliance with the Party Wall Act requirements.
Start with free advice.
Not sure how to begin? Contact us to receive free preliminary consultation along with quotation details.
Appoint Your London Party Wall Surveyor.
Your subsequent step after approving the quote will be to appoint your commercial or residential Party Wall Surveyor London professional via us.
Relax and let your inspector do the work.
Your inspector handles all aspects of work after your appointment via us. The process of notices and awards becomes seamless through our full support.
Choosing an Experienced London Party Wall Surveyor
Avoid using rogue inspectors who over-complicate jobs and create a strain between neighbours in a bid to increase party wall expenses. Appoint a surveyor through us who identifies appropriate strategies along with finding suitable answers via their Party Wall Dispute Resolution London approach.
Our panel of inspectors refrain from escalating disputes to increase their service fees. The team provides objective facts for everyone to understand their position clearly. The Act protection becomes clearer when you present straightforward unbiased information to neighbours, which improves their receptiveness toward your work. Your home improvement journey will become more efficient because the risk of both excessive expenses and conflicts diminishes with proper party wall procedures.
Many adjoining owners accept their neighbours carrying out construction work under proper notice served, which includes damage protection (often with a Schedule of Condition undertaken as a precautionary measure).
What Party Wall Notice do I serve?
| Type of Notice | Notifiable Works | Statutory Notice Period |
| Line of Junction Notice (section 1) | Building a new wall up to or astride the legal boundary (consent required for the latter option) | 1 month |
| Party Structure Notice (section 3) | Working on a party wall (shared wall) or party structure (shared floor/ceiling/wall such as in flats) | 2 months |
| Notice of Adjacent Excavation (section 6) | If you are digging within 3 metres of your neighbour’s building and lower than the level of their foundations. For piled foundations, this applies within 6 metres of a neighbour’s building. | 1 month |
What happens after Party Wall Notice served?
The following choices become available for your neighbour after receiving a Party Wall Notice, including consent to the works or dissent and appointing an inspector:
- Consent to Works: you can proceed with your planned work when your neighbour gives consent to the works, since a Party Wall Award becomes unnecessary. A Schedule of Condition serves as an optional tool that helps avoid/settle damages claims.
- Dissent and appoint own Surveyor: the requirement for a Party Wall Award along with your own separate commercial or residential Party Wall Surveyor London expert exists when neighbours object to the works going ahead without an inspector.
- Dissent and appoint an Agreed Surveyor: homeowners can jointly appoint a neutral expert who will act for both sides. Both owners share one inspector for the process of an Award being made.
A Party Wall Agreement London document enables authorised work according to specified conditions under the Act (e.g. foundations that require trench work will need temporary shoring supports according to specifications specified in the Party Wall Award). To invoke the Act in this manner, you would need to dissent to the notices.
The Best London Party Wall Survey for Your Project
The proper management of the Party Wall Act delivers project completion while providing protection to both property owners.
Easier Agreements
When local inspectors administer the Party Wall Act with consideration for both parties, then they can foster agreement more easily.
Work Can Start
Your right to build safely is granted under a London Party Wall Award. Sensible administration of the Act enables neighbours to be protected with clear instruction at reasonable cost.
Everyone Wins
The Party Wall Act functions as a facilitative framework that enables building operations. If approached correctly, everyone wins. Your inspector’s role is to explain this to both parties and help them get on with each other.
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FAQs for Building Owners
How do I comply with the Party Wall Act?
To proceed with the planned works, the Act mandates that you formally notify your neighbours regarding your construction plans, following specific procedures.
Both parties must follow precise time requirements according to the notifiable works. Service of notice is handled by professionals because improper notice creation may result in invalidation of the process.
The notice service may be needed just in case your project changes. A few minor adjustments to your proposed project can create major improvements in the outcome.
When should I appoint a surveyor?
Surveyors working on party walls need to be appointed only after a dispute emerges between adjoining owners (such as when one party fails to accept the proposed works or does not respond to documents).
Appointing owners mostly seek our assistance during the notice-serving stage.
The refusal of consent from your neighbour will not prevent work from starting. A commercial or residential party wall surveyor London professional (along with potentially another surveyor) has to be appointed to create an ‘Award’ for resolving matters. The procedure determines your rights together with the necessary conditions to enable work completion.
The process requires either a joint inspector selection (“Agreed Surveyor”) or independent inspector appointments by each party to create the Party Wall Agreement London Award.
How can we make the party wall process low cost?
Proper administration of the Party Wall Act enables users to get costs-effective results instead of engaging Common Law practices and solicitors.
A party wall procedure with minimal expenses exists when your neighbour allows you to proceed with your work. The second most economical choice allows you both to select one inspector whose role consists of resolving all party wall matters.
Although obtaining consent through a party wall notice often seems least expensive, more homeowners refuse to sign such agreements due to their unfamiliarity with party wall legislation particularly when you present your request as a DIY document.
Our trusted independence helps neighbours understand their protection under the Act, while also showing them the most effective approaches to deal with neighbours during this process.
Projects such as loft conversions and rear extensions can usually be managed through shared consent or a joint surveyor when both neighbours show reasonableness.
How can I persuade my neighbour to give consent?
Most neighbours do not typically welcome their neighbours conducting works close to their property. Adjoining owners need proper notification along with appropriate protection when tasks have the potential to lead to construction errors.
Most individuals will respond favourably to clear information shared with honesty and reasonableness by the building owners. Your appointed surveyor should also follow these principles of behaviour. The presentation style of your inspector determines whether your neighbour will accept or reject Agreed Surveyor supervision (i.e. joint instruction).
Working according to these principles leads to higher chances of gaining neighbour consent. Together with a proper display of mutual respect for each other will help you in performing your works without much interference.
What makes a good London party wall surveyor?
Appointment of an experienced party wall surveyor London professional becomes permanent during the course of the party wall works because, once selected, the dismissal is impossible unless the inspector refuses or neglects to take action. The Act is clear that the appointment is not to be rescinded otherwise.
When judging party wall costs, do you expect expenses to exceed the construction project budget by such a large margin? If your budget remains too low, the interest from inspector usually fades significantly beyond the timeframe mentioned in fee estimates.
The direct problems experienced by party wall surveying clients motivated Party Wall Survey London to establish their operation. Through our services we aim to support homeowners with their opportunity at home renovation while maintaining peace with neighbours and limiting expense.
