Short answer: usually no. If your extension is lawful (planning/building regs) and your proposals fall within the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, your neighbour can’t use the Party Wall process to veto your project. What they can do is influence how and when you carry out notifiable elements so their property is protected. Here’s what that means in practice—and where true “veto” rights do exist.
What a Party Wall response can (and can’t) do
When you serve a valid Party Wall Notice, your neighbour (the Adjoining Owner) has 14 days to:
- Consent – you proceed without surveyors under the Act (you still owe duties to avoid unnecessary inconvenience and make good damage).
- Dissent and appoint surveyor(s) – this doesn’t stop the works; it triggers the Act’s dispute-resolution mechanism. Independent surveyor(s) will agree a Party Wall Award that sets the time and manner of the notifiable works and the protections you must provide.
- Do nothing – after 14 days it’s deemed a dissent and the surveyor route begins.
In all of those scenarios (other than a narrow exception below), a neighbour’s response does not prevent you from building. The Act is designed to facilitate development while protecting the adjoining property through method controls, sequencing, and safeguards.
The key exception: building astride the boundary (s.1(2))
If your proposal is to construct a new wall astride the boundary line (a true party wall), your neighbour’s express written consent is required. If they refuse or ignore the notice, you must build wholly on your own land instead. That is the only common “veto” in the Act.
Building up to the boundary on your land (with standard—not special—foundations) remains your right under the Act, subject to proper notice and protections.
How a dissent can legitimately affect your project
A dissent brings surveyor(s) to the table. Their job is to let you exercise your statutory rights without causing unnecessary inconvenience to your neighbour. Expect the Award to cover, for example:
- Safe methods for cutting into or exposing a party wall, and for adjacent excavation
- Temporary support and weathering details
- Working windows for the noisiest tasks (often aligned with local hours)
- Protection to your neighbour’s structures and finishes
- Access arrangements to complete work in pursuance of the Act
- Allocation of reasonable Party Wall costs
Crucially, the Award provides a lawful framework. If you comply, you may proceed with the notifiable works even if relations are frosty.
Common myths that cause friction
“If I say no, they have to stop.”
Not for notifiable works. “No” triggers surveyors; it doesn’t halt a lawful scheme.
“I can demand design changes through the Award.”
Surveyors regulate method and timing, not planning merits. Design objections belong in planning, not Party Wall.
“I won’t reply—that’ll slow them down.”
Silence simply creates a deemed dissent and, if needed, a valid section 10(4) appointment of a surveyor on the non-responding owner’s behalf to keep things moving.
What if your neighbour threatens an injunction?
Courts will consider injunctions where the Act is being ignored (e.g., work starts without required notice or in breach of an Award). They are not a tool to stop properly-notified, Award-compliant works. The best way to avoid injunction risk is simple: serve valid notices early and follow the Award.
Best practice for building owners
- Serve clean notices: correct sections, clear descriptions, and proper drawings for Section 6 excavations.
- Start early: the Act’s notice periods are 1–2 months; surveyor time is additional.
- Keep it neighbourly: a brief face-to-face or note explaining what’s coming defuses a lot of anxiety.
- Don’t conflate regimes: planning permission and building control are separate from the Party Wall process. You’ll often run in parallel.
What if your neighbour is genuinely unreasonable?
The Act is your backstop. Surveyors act impartially and must keep the process moving. If one party drags their feet or a surveyor goes silent, there are procedural tools (e.g., 10-day requests to act, third surveyor referrals, or replacing a non-acting surveyor) to avoid drift. You’re not at the mercy of stonewalling.
Transparent, fixed-fee help that keeps you moving
Simple Survey keeps the formality watertight and the tone friendly—so you build on time and on good terms.
- Party Wall Notice service: £25 per Adjoining Ownership (multi-notice bundles discounted)
- Act administration as Agreed Surveyor (single surveyor): typically £300 fixed-fee (depends on complexity and number of notices/owners)
- Two-surveyor route (we act for the Building Owner): fixed-fee proposals from £325 for our side (we work to keep your neighbour’s surveyor’s hourly fees reasonable and contained)
Ready to de-stress your extension?
Email team@simplesurvey.co.uk with your drawings, addresses and target start date. We’ll:
- confirm which notices you need and draft/serve them correctly,
- recommend the smoothest route (Agreed Surveyor vs two-surveyor), and
- drive a robust Award that protects both properties—without derailing your programme.
Simple Survey — straightforward notices, fair awards, no drama.