When you’re choosing a party wall surveyor, you’ll see post-nominals like MFPWS, AssocRICS, MRICS, and FRICS.
They don’t mean the same thing—and they shouldn’t carry the same weight.
FPWS vs RICS in one minute
- FPWS (Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors) is a membership body focused on party wall practice. Entry typically follows a short induction (often 1–2 days) plus an interview of up to 30 mins. MFPWS is not a chartered qualification—it’s a membership designation.
- RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) is a chartered, regulated professional institution. Achieving MRICS/FRICS requires a competency-based pathway, the quickest time you can obtain this is via 24 months of structured experience, ethics testing, a rigorous interview, ongoing CPD, regulation, and insured practice.
Bottom line: FPWS = specialist membership. RICS = chartered qualification + regulation.
Why chartered status matters
- Regulation & ethics: RICS members/firms are audited, must follow strict conduct rules, and maintain complaints procedures.
- Insurance: RICS-regulated firms carry compliant professional indemnity insurance.
- Breadth & depth: Party wall work often touches structural risk, methodology, compensation and evidence. Chartered training anchors judgment beyond procedure.
Don’t confuse membership with qualification
MFPWS can indicate interest and engagement with party wall practice, but it isn’t a qualification. If you see MFPWS without MRICS/FRICS, ask what broader surveying credentials, regulation and insurance sit behind the service.
Our stance
All our surveyors are RICS-qualified. We believe homeowners and developers deserve regulated, insured, chartered professionals for party wall matters. MFPWS, don’t mistake it for a qualification—and don’t let anyone try to pass it off as one.
How to vet a surveyor
Ask five things:
- Are you MRICS/FRICS?
- Are you RICS-regulated and properly insured?
- What are your fixed or capped fees and timelines?
- How do you handle disagreements—do you use third-surveyor referrals appropriately?
Talk to a chartered party wall specialist
Want a clear, regulated route from notices to award, without fee bloat or delays? All our surveyors hold RICS qualifications. Get straight answers and fair, fixed pricing: team@simplesurvey.co.uk.