Party Wall etc. Act 1996
Party Wall Services
Notices served correctly, schedules of condition recorded before work starts, and awards prepared where a neighbour dissents.
We work across ten towns on the Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire borders, which between them fall under five separate planning authorities. That matters more than it sounds: the council that signs your work off is decided by your address, not by the nearest big town, and on this patch the boundaries run close together.
What is included
What Party Wall Services Include
Issuing and Serving Party Wall Notices
Notices drafted and served correctly, on the right people, with the right notice period, so the clock actually starts.
Acting as Party Wall Surveyor
For a building owner or an adjoining owner, and as agreed surveyor where both sides are content with that.
Schedule of Condition Reports
A photographic record of the neighbouring property before work starts, which is what settles most later disputes.
Dispute Resolution
Where a neighbour dissents, an award sets out what may be done, when, and on what terms.
Advice on Whether the Act Applies
Not every project needs a notice, and serving one unnecessarily creates delay and cost that need not exist.
How it runs
Party Wall Services: How We Work
Establish Whether the Act Applies
The Act bites on work to a shared wall, on building at the boundary line, and on excavation near a neighbour's foundations, and we confirm which of those is engaged.
Serve Notice
Notice goes to every adjoining owner, which on a mid terrace means both sides, and on a flat can mean the freeholder as well as the leaseholder.
Record the Condition
A schedule of condition photographs the neighbouring property before anything starts, which protects both sides.
Award or Consent
If the neighbour consents, work can begin. If they dissent, surveyors are appointed and an award is prepared setting out the terms.
The structural question
The Part That Decides the Job
The excavation limb of the Act is the one most often missed. Digging within three metres of a neighbouring structure and to a depth below its foundations engages the Act, and so does digging within six metres if the excavation falls below a line drawn at forty five degrees from the base of their foundation. On a rear extension with a trench fill foundation close to a boundary, that is a routine situation rather than an unusual one.
Questions we get asked
Party Wall Services: Frequently Asked Questions
How much notice do I have to give my neighbour?
Two months for work to a party structure, and one month for excavation and for building at the boundary line. Work should not start before the notice period expires and consent or an award is in place.
Is a party wall award the same as planning permission?
No. They are entirely separate. An award deals with the private rights between neighbours, planning deals with the public interest in the development, and building regulations deal with the technical standard of the work. A project can need all three.
Do I have to serve a party wall notice for a rear extension?
It depends on where the foundations sit and whether you are cutting into a shared wall. On a semi detached or terraced property with foundations close to the boundary, notice is usually required. On a detached house set well back from every boundary, often it is not.
Can one surveyor act for both sides?
Yes, as an agreed surveyor, where both owners are content with that arrangement. It is usually quicker and cheaper than two appointments, but either party is entitled to appoint their own.
What is a schedule of condition and do I need one?
It is a dated photographic record of the neighbouring property before work starts. It is the single most useful document if a crack is later attributed to your work, and we recommend it even where a neighbour has consented.
What if I have already started work without serving notice?
Work should stop while the position is regularised. Proceeding without notice exposes you to an injunction and to a claim for damage, and it removes the protection the Act would otherwise have given you.
Who pays the party wall surveyor?
The building owner, the party carrying out the work, normally pays the reasonable costs, including the adjoining owner's surveyor where one is appointed. That is the general position rather than an absolute rule.
What is the Party Wall etc. Act 1996?
It is the legislation that governs work to shared walls, building at or astride a boundary, and excavation close to a neighbouring building. It sets out how notice must be given, what a neighbour can do in response, and how disagreements are resolved.
What happens if my neighbour does not respond to the notice?
Silence is treated as dissent. After the statutory period the matter is deemed to be in dispute and surveyors are appointed, so a neighbour cannot stop a project simply by ignoring the paperwork.
How much do party wall services cost?
It depends on how many adjoining owners are involved and whether the matter is settled by consent or needs an award. We set the basis out in writing before anything is served.
Where we work
Party Wall Services by Town
Pick your town for the local planning authority, the housing stock, the ground conditions and what each of those means for a project at your address.
Our other services
Talk it through first
Party Wall Services
Tell us about the property and what you want it to do. We will set out the scope, the approval route and a written price after a site visit. Our office is at First Floor, 30 Reading Road South, Fleet, GU52 7QL.