Party Wall Surveyor in London | RICS

Instructing a party wall surveyor will allow you to:

• Prevent legal disputes
• Avoid delays
• Receive expert advice
• Gauge the property’s condition prior to the works

Services for common projects that require party wall matters:

• Rear and Side Extensions
• Loft Conversions
• Basement Extensions
• New builds and refurbishments
• Wall Removals
• Internal Alterations
• Subsidence and Underpinning

Most London Party Wall Surveyors will charge a fixed hourly rate for all tasks related to the party wall. This is 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 this price. This includes:

• 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.

Click here to read more on the costs associated with Party Wall Matters

When you first decide to carry out work on your property, you should first speak to your neighbour and discuss proposed works in more detail, explaining exactly what will be involved in the process. If they agree and are happy to proceed, you may not need a Party Wall Surveyor.

However, disputes can often arise, even if it appears that an agreement has been reached. For this reason, both building owners should check the condition of the property before construction commences, taking photographic evidence that could be used for future reference, if required.

To simplify the process, it’s highly recommended that you hire a party wall surveyor who can deliver a party wall notice and provide peace of mind. The cost is usually borne by the ‘Building Owner’(the one having the works done).

If a dispute does arise, you will need a party wall surveyor to reach a resolution.

Regardless of your intentions, it’s extremely helpful to have an informal discussion with any other building owners who might be affected before you deliver a Party Wall Notice. This helps keep communication open and helps ensure that all parties will be satisfied with the outcome.

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.

Under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, you must notify adjoining owners of certain proposed works to and in the vicinity of party walls. An RICS chartered surveyor can prepare all the required documents with pinpoint accuracy, removing a bureaucratic nightmare from your to-do list.

Our London Party Wall Surveyors can work for you, the adjoining owner or both parties as to the agreed surveyor. Get in touch for more information on why hiring surveyors for party wall matters is a necessity.