Richmond Party Wall Surveyor

Harding Chartered Surveyors advises building owners and adjoining owners across Richmond, Kew, East Sheen, St Margarets and the surrounding Richmond upon Thames area. We deal with party wall matters for rear and side extensions, loft conversions, structural alterations, basement work, underpinning and new walls close to a boundary.

Early advice is valuable. Reviewing the architectural drawings, structural information and proposed programme before work starts provides time to identify every qualifying owner and serve the correct notices without placing the construction timetable under unnecessary pressure.

When does the Party Wall Act apply?

The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may apply to certain work on an existing party wall or party structure, construction of a wall at or astride the boundary, and excavation within three or six metres of a neighbouring building where the statutory depth tests are met.

Common Richmond projects that may require notice include:

• cutting steel beams into a party wall for a loft conversion or extension;
• removing chimney breasts or altering a shared chimney stack;
• underpinning, basement excavation or foundations close to neighbouring buildings;
• raising, thickening, rebuilding or repairing a party structure; and
• building a new wall on or close to the line of junction.

The legal test depends on the proposed work, measurements and neighbouring structures. Planning permission, Building Regulations approval, listed-building consent and landlord approval are separate requirements; obtaining one does not replace compliance with the Act.

Notices and statutory timings

Work to an existing party structure normally requires at least two months’ notice. A new boundary wall and qualifying excavation normally require at least one month. A notice should describe the work and proposed start date, name every building owner and include the drawings required for excavation work.

For notices concerning an existing party structure or qualifying excavation, no written consent after 14 days generally means that a dispute is deemed to have arisen. Section 1 boundary-wall notices have a different statutory outcome. Work can begin earlier only where the relevant owner agrees in writing, and notices should not be served so early that they expire before work starts.

If you have received a notice

An adjoining owner can consent in writing, ask for further information or appoint a surveyor where a dispute has arisen. Consent does not remove responsibility for damage caused by the works, but it should be informed and recorded. Before deciding, the notice should be considered alongside the plans, sections, structural calculations and proposed method of work.

A Schedule of Condition records the neighbouring property before work. Where an Award is required, it can regulate the time and manner of the notifiable work, protective measures, inspections and the procedure for dealing with relevant damage.

Richmond party wall FAQs

Does planning permission cover party wall matters?
No. Planning, Building Regulations and the Party Wall Act operate separately.

Does every extension require a notice?
No. The design, boundary position and relationship with neighbouring structures must be checked against the statutory tests.

Can one surveyor act for both owners?
Yes. Both owners can agree to appoint one Agreed Surveyor after a dispute has arisen.

Party wall advice for both owners

We act for building owners planning work and adjoining owners who have received a notice. Our role can include reviewing drawings, checking whether the Act applies, identifying ownership interests, serving notices, preparing condition records and agreeing a Party Wall Award.

Where both owners agree, one Agreed Surveyor may act. Alternatively, each owner appoints a surveyor and the two surveyors select a third surveyor. A surveyor appointed under the Act must determine the statutory issues impartially; the role is not the same as acting as a client’s advocate in ordinary negotiations.

Richmond property considerations

Richmond includes period terraces and villas, semi-detached houses, mansion flats, converted buildings and newer apartment developments. Shared chimney stacks, historic alterations, shallow neighbouring foundations and several freehold or leasehold interests can make apparently straightforward work more involved.

Loft and rear-extension projects often need careful consideration of steel bearings, roof junctions and new foundations. Basement and underpinning schemes require clear structural and temporary-works information. In flats and converted houses, the titles and leases may need review because more than one freeholder or long leaseholder can qualify as an adjoining owner.

Conservation-area status or listed-building controls do not decide whether the Party Wall Act applies. Boundary uncertainty is also a separate issue and may require a dedicated boundary assessment.

Fees and choosing a surveyor

Fees depend on the complexity of the work, number of adjoining owners, quality of the design information, access and the condition record required. The building owner usually pays the reasonable costs of the statutory process, including reasonable adjoining-owner surveyor fees where an appointment is necessary.

The Act does not reserve the surveyor role to one profession. Government guidance recommends selecting somebody with suitable construction knowledge and experience of the legislation. Harding Chartered Surveyors is regulated by RICS, and this page is reviewed by Jeremy Goldney, who specialises in party wall, boundary and neighbourly matters.

For independent background information, read the government explanatory booklet and the RICS consumer guide.

More Richmond party wall FAQs

Can work begin as soon as a notice is served?
Normally no. The relevant notice period must expire unless the adjoining owner agrees in writing to an earlier start.

Send us the current drawings, structural information, proposed start date and any notice already received. We can explain the next statutory step and provide a written scope and quotation before chargeable work begins.

Written & Reviewed by Jeremy Goldney
Party Wall and Boundary Surveyor · MFPWS MPTS
Last reviewed: September 2026

Jeremy Goldney

Jeremy Goldney specialises in Party Wall, Boundary and Neighbourly matters. With more than 30 years of experience in construction project management and Party Wall work, he reviews Harding’s guidance for practical accuracy and statutory relevance.

• Schedule of Condition
• Specific Defect Report
• Expert Witness
• Dilapidations