Party Wall Notices in London

The Act applies in England and Wales. It can cover cutting into a party wall for a beam, raising or underpinning a party structure, building a new wall at the boundary, and excavation meeting the statutory distance and depth tests.

For excavation, distance is measured from the neighbouring building or structure, not simply the property boundary. The Section 6 guide explains the three-metre and six-metre tests.

Some minor work, such as fixing ordinary shelving or renewing plaster, may not require notice. The design and possible effect on the structure matter. Planning permission and building regulations are separate requirements; neither replaces the party wall procedure.

One project may require more than one notice. A neighbour’s response within 14 days is a separate matter from the minimum notice period. An earlier start needs the appropriate agreement; consent should not be treated as automatic permission to start immediately.

See our notice-period guide for response deadlines and planning the sequence.

Requirements vary by notice type. The notice identifies the building owner, the proposed work and intended start date, with enough detail for the adjoining owner to understand the relevant work.

A Section 6 notice must include plans and sections showing the position and depth of the excavation and the location of any proposed building or structure. It must also state whether the building owner proposes to underpin, strengthen or safeguard the adjoining foundations. Special foundations proposed under a party structure notice also require specific information.

Send us the existing and proposed drawings, structural details, site address and any earlier notices or correspondence. A generic template completed without checking the design, ownership and notice type may miss an important requirement.

Notice must reach the relevant adjoining owners. There may be several owners of a single property, including a freeholder and a qualifying leaseholder. The occupier or person answering the door is not necessarily the only person who needs notice.

The Act permits particular methods of service. Email should only be used where the recipient has agreed to receive notices electronically and has provided the relevant address. Keep a copy of the notice, accompanying documents and evidence of service.

We can help identify the required recipients and appropriate service arrangements. Tell us about flats, company ownership or difficulties obtaining owner details when you first contact us.

For party structure and adjacent excavation notices, written consent within the relevant response period can allow the matter to proceed without an award, subject to the notice period and other applicable requirements. Dissent, or no written consent within 14 days, brings the statutory dispute procedure into play.

The owners can agree to one surveyor or appoint separate surveyors, who select a third surveyor. Every appointed surveyor must act impartially, whichever owner appointed them.

New-wall notices require care: a wall astride the boundary needs the adjoining owner’s written consent. An award cannot force that consent. Without it, the building owner may instead have rights to build wholly on their own land, subject to the Act and other rights. See adjoining-owner advice.

A written and photographic record of the relevant neighbouring areas is often sensible before work begins, including where the owner consents. It helps the parties compare later observations with the condition recorded before work.

A schedule is separate from consent or an award. It is not a guarantee against damage or proof of what caused every later defect. Coverage and access should reflect the proposed works. Read about a party wall Schedule of Condition.

1. Share the design

   Send the address, drawings, work details and intended programme.

2. Confirm the route

   We identify the service needed, the information required and the relevant notices.

3. Agree the scope

   Your quotation sets out the fee, applicable VAT, inclusions and expected timing.

4. Review the response

   Further surveyor appointments, a schedule or an award are addressed as required.

Fees depend on the work, ownership arrangements, number of recipients and any further procedure. We quote for your circumstances rather than assuming notice preparation covers every later stage. If works have started without notice, tell us immediately so we can discuss the appropriate advice.

The government’s explanatory booklet describes notices, service, response options and statutory procedures. The RICS party walls consumer guide explains the surveyor’s role.

For broader help, explore our party wall services and guides. A particular dispute, invalid notice or urgent court issue needs advice on its own facts.