Party Wall Surveyor in London

The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 is the framework used across England and Wales designed to manage and resolve issues around the shared boundary wall of the two properties. The Act has been created to manage and successfully resolve any issues surrounding shared or adjacent structures. 

The Party Wall etc. Act applies if you are planning:

• Building work on shared walls (party walls)
• Building work involving shared ‘party structures’ (walls or floors between flats)
• Alterations to garden boundary walls
• Underpinning or excavation work within 3-6 metres of party walls
• Loft conversations that involve changing party walls
• Changing party walls by thickening, raising or inserting a damp-proof course
• Building an extension above a party wall

Extensions and alterations can increase a property’s value and aesthetic appeal, but works to and around the party walls may require you to notify adjoining owners to comply with the law. Conflicts, disputes, and delays can not only throw a spanner into the works, but can also be expensive. 

Harding Chartered provide party wall surveyor services in London to guide you through the process of issuing a Part Wall Award and act as your representative. We can prepare Service of Notices, Schedules of Conditions, Party Wall Agreement, Party Wall Awards and Licences to Alter.

Get a free, upfront quote for your party wall matters by filling in the form on this page or contact us on 020 3598 6730.

Most London Party Wall Surveyors will charge a fixed hourly rate for all party wall related matters, usually between £150-£270. The price you pay depends on the time it takes to carry out the work relating to the party wall survey. On average, the cost is around £1500.

There are a variety of additional factors that will affect costs involved:

• Size of the property
• Quality and completeness of architectural designs
• The complexity of the project
• Number of surveyors needed
• The level of risk of damage to the neighbouring property
• Any negotiation needed
• Where you live

It’s important to know that the person issuing the party wall notice (the building owner) will be liable for fees if the adjoining owner decides to hire their own building surveying team. However, the building owner’s surveyor will be able to decide whether these costs are reasonable, based on a variety of factors such as complexity of works, the distance between the site and the office, the quality of the design team’s drawings, and so on.

If a third building surveyor is appointed, their fees will usually be divided between the building owner and adjoining owner as per the decision of the third surveyor. This is not the same as having an ‘Agreed Surveyor’, which is where there is just one surveyor who acts for both parties.

Learn more about the costs associated with Party Wall surveyor services. 

A party wall is a shared wall between two properties, used as the boundary line. A party wall is typically found in a terraced or semi-detached property, or a ‘party structure’ like floors or ceilings that separate flats. 

As a party wall is typically shared between two or more residents, there is a legal process in managing and resolving issues surrounding shared party walls, governed by the Part Wall Act 1996.

Ultimately, the benefit of hiring a party wall surveyor in London is that it makes the process straightforward, more time efficient, and less expensive. A party wall surveyor will officially inform your neighbours of the building works that you intend to carry out, explaining key information related to the proposed works. 

Hiring a party wall surveyor will prevent legal disputes, avoid delays, gauge the property’s condition prior to starting work, and ultimately, ensure that all decisions are backed by an expert’s experience.

Harding Chartered Surveyors can help you avoid or resolve any disputes or disagreements with your neighbours when carrying out renovations, alterations or making structural changes to your home. We cover all of London, Surrey, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and most of the other home counties.

Party Wall Notices officially inform your neighbours of the building works that you intend to carry out. They’re written documents that explain key pieces of information relating to your proposed words and are best prepared by a party wall surveyor.

They include key information such as:

• Your name and address
• Where the work is will be carried out
• A full description of your proposed work
• Proposed start dates
• The options that the property adjoining owner has concerning the proposed work

The Party Wall Notice must be served at least two months before building work is planned to start and must be served to the legal owner of the property. Even if the adjoining property isn’t occupied by the owner, they must always be contacted, as well as the tenant. All information required in the Party Wall Act must be included in the notice.

You can serve the notice up to a year in advance and don’t need planning permission in place beforehand. You’ll have up to a year to start work once the notice has been delivered.

The adjoining owner will then have 14 days in which to respond to the Party Wall Notice and instruct their own surveyor if required. If this time has passed and the owners have not accepted or disputed the proposal, your surveyor can provide a further 10-day notice.