If you’ve navigated the Party Wall process once already, you’ll know it takes planning, diplomacy and a valid legal paper trail. One date that’s easy to overlook: the lifespan of the Party Wall Award. Let’s demystify expiry, what counts as a valid start, and how to reboot correctly if time has slipped.
1) Party Wall Awards expire after 12 months
Under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, an Award does not live forever. It’s only effective if the notifiable works begin within 12 months of service of the applicable notice(s). The Award is the surveyor(s)’ formal decision resolving the dispute and setting out how and when works proceed.
Key point: The 12-month clock runs from service of each relevant Party Wall Award.
2) “Commencement” must be real—not token
To keep your Award alive, the notifiable works must genuinely commence within the 12-month window. That means starting the actual works covered by the Act (e.g., cutting into the party wall for beams; excavation to notifiable depth). Admin prep, light strip-out away from the party interface, or unrelated groundwork is unlikely to constitute commencement.
Best practice:
- Record the start: dated site photos, contractor diary entries, and a short confirmation email from your contractor noting the exact works begun and where.
- Stay within the scope: if the design has materially changed, you may need new notices and a fresh Award anyway.
3) If you miss the window, you must re-serve and re-agree
Once 12 months pass without valid commencement of the notifiable works, the path forward is clean and simple:
- Re-serve fresh Party Wall Notices (with all mandatory particulars),
- Allow statutory response periods, and
- Agree a new Award (Agreed Surveyor or two-surveyor route) before resuming the notifiable elements.
Trying to carry on under an expired Award is risky: it undermines enforceability, invites challenge, and can sour neighbour relations right when you need cooperation (e.g., for access under Section 8).
Practical restart checklist
- Check your scope: Has the design changed? If yes, update drawings and make sure the new notices match the works.
- Mind the timings: Section 2 notices require two months; Section 1/6 notices require one month (minimum statutory periods). Build those into your programme.
- Choose the right route: If relations are good and the works are conventional, consider an Agreed Surveyor for speed and cost control. Otherwise, proceed with two surveyors.
- Communicate early: Let neighbours know why the process is restarting—expired timing, not a failure of substance. A short, polite note preserves goodwill.
Common pitfalls with expired Awards
- Assuming minor site activity “kept it alive.” If in doubt, treat the Award as expired and reset properly.
- Hoping to “amend” an expired Award. If the notice has lapsed, the Award can’t be amended into validity; you need fresh notices and a new Award.
- Backdating notices or fudging dates. Don’t. It risks invalidity and trust. Valid service and transparent timing protect you.
Simple Survey: low-cost, compliant re-start
If your Award has expired—or you want to avoid that happening—our fixed, transparent fees keep things calm and predictable:
- 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)
Why restart with Simple Survey?
- RICS-qualified building surveyors who understand both the law and the brickwork
- Valid notices, watertight Awards, and pragmatic conditions your contractor can actually build under
- Friendly, proactive communication with neighbours to keep the project neighbourly and on schedule
Party Wall Award Help
If your Party Wall Award has lapsed—or you’re close to the 12-month line—let’s reset cleanly.
Email your drawings and your original notice dates to team@simplesurvey.co.uk. We’ll confirm what needs re-serving, quote a fixed fee, and get you back to a legally sound, build-ready position—fast, fair and fully compliant.
Simple Survey — the stress-free, cost-effective way to keep your project on track.