Professional Party Wall Act advice from CIOB, RPSA and/or RICS chartered surveyors
The chartered surveyor team provides expert party wall services under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Whether you're planning building works or your neighbour is, our panel of CIOB, RPSA and/or RICS qualified party wall surveyors protect your interests and ensure compliance with the Act across London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Bristol.
Comprehensive guidance on the Party Wall Act 1996 and your rights
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 governs building works affecting shared walls, boundaries, and excavations near neighbouring properties. This legislation protects the interests of both building owners undertaking construction and adjoining owners whose properties may be affected.
Walls shared between properties, such as those in terraced or semi-detached houses
Boundary walls standing on land owned by different owners
Digging within 3-6 meters of neighbouring buildings and foundations
Framework for resolving disputes and protecting property rights
The Act applies throughout England and Wales and sets out procedures for serving notices, appointing surveyors, and preparing Party Wall Awards. Our panel of CIOB, RPSA and/or RICS chartered surveyors ensure full compliance with the Act, protecting all parties involved in building works.
Understanding the party wall process ensures your building works proceed smoothly and legally. Here's what's involved:
Our panel of chartered surveyors assess whether your works fall under the Act. If they do, your surveyor prepares and serves appropriate notices on adjoining owners. Different types of works require different notices with varying notice periods (1-2 months before works commence).
Adjoining owners have 14 days to respond to party wall notices. They can either consent to the works or dissent, triggering the surveyor appointment process.
If there's a dispute (or deemed dispute), surveyors must be appointed. Options include:
Before works begin, your party wall surveyor prepares a detailed photographic record of the adjoining property's condition. This protects both parties if damage claims arise later.
The appointed surveyor(s) prepare a Party Wall Award documenting:
Throughout construction, our panel of surveyors can monitor works to ensure compliance with the Award and address any issues that arise.
The Party Wall Act applies to various construction activities. Here are the most common scenarios:
| Type of Work | Notice Required | Notice Period | Common Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building on Party Wall | Party Wall Notice | 2 months | Extensions, loft conversions, raising party walls |
| Cutting into Party Wall | Party Wall Notice | 2 months | Installing beams, DPC, insulation, removing chimney breasts |
| Excavations (within 3m) | Adjacent Excavation Notice | 1 month | Foundations deeper than neighbour's within 3 meters |
| Excavations (3-6m) | Adjacent Excavation Notice | 1 month | Excavations within 6m at a 45° angle to neighbour's foundations |
| New Party Fence Wall | Party Structure Notice | 1 month | Building boundary walls astride property lines |
Not sure if your works require party wall procedures? Our panel of CIOB, RPSA and/or RICS chartered surveyors provide free initial assessments. Call 0204 579 8270 to discuss your project.
The Party Wall Act balances the rights of building owners to carry out necessary works with the rights of adjoining owners to protect their properties.
You cannot prevent works proceeding under the Party Wall Act, but you can ensure:
The building owner is responsible for all reasonable party wall costs, including:
Need representation? The chartered surveyors act for both building and adjoining owners, protecting your interests throughout the party wall process.
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From initial consultation to works completion - we guide you every step
We discuss your building project, assess Party Wall Act requirements, advise on necessary procedures, and provide transparent quotes for our panel of surveyors services. Free initial advice ensures you understand your obligations and rights before works begin.
Our panel of chartered surveyors prepare and serve appropriate party wall notices on adjoining owners with correct lead times. Your surveyor handles all correspondence and explain the process to neighbours, maintaining positive relationships throughout.
Before works commence, your surveyor conducts detailed photographic surveys of adjoining properties, documenting existing conditions. This protects all parties by providing clear evidence of pre-work property states.
Our panel of CIOB, RPSA and/or RICS surveyors prepares comprehensive Party Wall Awards detailing works, responsibilities, and procedures. Awards are issued to all parties, providing legal framework for the building works to proceed.
Throughout construction, your surveyor will be available to monitor works, address concerns, and resolve any issues. Upon completion, your party wall surveyor conducts final inspections, ensuring Award compliance and documents the finished works.
All of the party wall surveyors on our panel are CIOB, RPSA and/or RICS chartered with extensive experience in neighbourly matters and the Party Wall Act 1996.
Our panel of qualified surveyors act impartially, protecting all parties' interests while keeping construction projects on track.
Your surveyor prepares detailed Party Wall Awards covering all aspects of the works, protecting both building and adjoining owners.
You must follow the Party Wall Act if you're doing building works that affect party walls, boundaries, or excavations near neighbouring properties. Our panel of chartered surveyors assess your construction projects and advise whether party wall procedures are required. The Act applies to works like extensions, loft conversions, basement excavations, and removing chimney breasts on shared walls. Early consultation with our panel of party wall surveyors helps avoid delays to your building works.
Party wall surveyor fees typically range from £700-£1,500 depending on complexity. Under the Party Wall Act, the building owner usually pays all reasonable surveyor costs, including the adjoining owner's surveyor fees. Our panel of CIOB, RPSA and/or RICS chartered surveyors provide transparent quotes for party wall services. Simple matters with agreed surveyors cost less than complex cases with separate surveyors. Call 0204 579 8270 for a free quote based on your specific building works.
If adjoining owners don't respond to party wall notices within 14 days, they're deemed to be in dispute. At this point, surveyors must be appointed - one for the building owner and one for the adjoining owner. If the neighbour refuses to appoint a surveyor, the building owner's chartered surveyor can appoint one on their behalf. Our panel of qualified surveyors handle these situations regularly, ensuring party wall procedures progress even without neighbour cooperation. The Party Wall Award can then be prepared and building works can proceed legally.
The party wall process typically takes 6-10 weeks from serving notices to receiving the Party Wall Award. Notices must be served at least 2 months before starting work (1 month for some works). Once served, adjoining owners have 14 days to respond. If agreed, our panel of chartered surveyors can prepare Awards within 2-4 weeks. Complex cases or disputes may take longer. Our panel of party wall surveyors work efficiently to avoid unnecessary delays to your construction projects. Early appointment of a qualified surveyor ensures the smoothest process.
A Schedule of Condition is a detailed record of the adjoining property's condition before building works begin. Our party wall surveyors photograph and document the existing state of neighbouring properties. This protects both parties - if damage occurs during construction projects, the Schedule provides evidence of pre-existing conditions versus new damage. Our panel of chartered surveyors prepare comprehensive Schedules as part of party wall procedures. This documentation is crucial if disputes arise about damage caused by building works affecting party walls or foundations.
Contact our panel of CIOB, RPSA and/or RICS party wall surveyors today