If you’ve served a Party Wall Notice and your neighbour has dissented (or simply not replied within 14 days), the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 moves you into the dispute–resolution phase. The outcome of that process is the Party Wall Award—the single most important document for lawfully progressing your notifiable works and protecting both sides if anything goes wrong. Here’s what an Award is, what it contains, and how to use it to keep your project safe and on track.
1) It’s a legal document that unlocks your lawful start
An Award is made by an Agreed Surveyor (one impartial surveyor acting for both owners) or by two party wall surveyors (one for each owner, with a third surveyor in reserve). Once signed and served on the owners, it becomes a binding legal instrument that authorises the Building Owner’s notifiable works under the Act—provided they are carried out in the time and manner set out in the Award.
In practice, the Award will:
- Identify the properties and the owners.
- Describe the notifiable works precisely (e.g., cutting into the party wall for steel beams, excavations within statutory distances, raising or underpinning).
- Prescribe method and sequencing (e.g., use of hand/non-percussive tools to limit vibration, temporary works, shoring/bracing where needed).
- Set working hours for noisy operations and site conduct expectations.
- Deal with access under Section 8 where required (how, when and for how long).
- Allocate costs (surveyors’ fees, and where applicable, construction costs that the Act allows to be shared).
- Set out clear damage and making-good procedures (see point 4).
With the Award served, you have the legal green light—no guesswork, no grey areas, just a compliant route to begin.
2) It’s binding—and ignoring it, is expensive
An Award is binding on both owners. For the Building Owner, that means doing exactly what it says:
- Follow the specified methods (e.g., hand tools at the party wall, temporary supports, protection to exposed elements).
- Respect access windows and security arrangements awarded under Section 8.
- Comply with noise windows and any special protections for sensitive elements.
Departing from the Award’s protections or methods can trigger further awards, delay, additional surveyor time, and—if damage occurs—compensation. In serious cases, non-compliance can lead to injunctive relief and court enforcement. The cheapest and safest route is simple: comply to the letter.
3) It can be appealed—but only in a narrow window
If you believe the Award is improper, Section 10(17) allows an appeal to the County Court within 14 days of service. This is a short and strict deadline. Appeals challenge points of law or jurisdiction—not mere preferences about construction details. If you’re contemplating an appeal, act immediately, seek legal advice, and keep works paused if necessary to avoid wasted cost.
4) It’s the roadmap if damage occurs
From minor plaster cracks to more significant issues, the Award sets out what happens next. Typically, it will:
- Define how damage is reported.
- Provide for inspection and agreement of cause and extent.
- Allow the Adjoining Owner either making-good by the Building Owner or payment in lieu for them to arrange their own repair.
- Confirm that reasonable surveyor time associated with resolving damage is recoverable from the Building Owner.
Because the procedure is already agreed in the Award, damage is handled quickly, fairly, and without courtroom drama in most cases.
What a good Award looks like
A robust Award is clear, proportionate, and enforceable. It anchors the design to the methods necessary to protect the neighbour; it includes precise drawings and statutory particulars; and it gives practical access and programme solutions that contractors can follow. If design changes later affect risk, your surveyor(s) will add a Further Award to keep the legal pathway aligned with the build.
Keep control of cost and time with Simple Survey
Our fixed, transparent pricing keeps budgets 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)
We draft valid notices, steer you to the fastest compliant track (consent or Award), and agree practical, protective terms that contractors can deliver without disruption.
Ready to move from notice to Award—safely?
Email team@simplesurvey.co.uk with your address, a short description of the works, and your drawings (provisional is fine). We’ll confirm what’s notifiable, outline the likely Award scope and cost, and get the process moving—so you can start lawfully, minimise risk, and avoid surprise fees.