What you’ll likely pay, why you’re paying it, and how to keep it under control
If you’ve reached this page, you’ve either discovered you must serve a Party Wall Notice or you’ve been served one.
Understandably, your next question is: “How much is this going to cost—and who pays?”
Below is a clear, impartial deep-dive into how Party Wall costs work in practice, why the Act puts most costs on the Building Owner, and what you can do to keep fees sensible and predictable.
1) Who pays? (and what “reasonable” actually means)
Under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, the Building Owner (the one carrying out the notifiable works) is generally responsible for the reasonable costs of the Party Wall procedures. That typically includes:
- The Building Owner’s surveyor;
- The Adjoining Owner’s surveyor (if they appoint their own);
- Proportionate specialist inputs (e.g., a checking/advising structural engineer) where the risk and complexity of the works justify it.
“Reasonable” is intentionally in the legislation to prevent runaway billing. In plain terms, fees should be proportionate to scope, risk, and complexity, and reflect the time genuinely required. If a fee is evidently excessive, surveyors (and, if necessary, a Third Surveyor) can challenge and reduce it.
2) Party Wall Notice costs (your first cost line)
Notices must be validly drafted, served on every relevant owner, and timed correctly. You can:
- DIY (free, but risky if you get ownership, content, drawings or service wrong);
- Use a surveying firm (typically £25–£250+ per Adjoining Owner, depending on service level, verification of ownership, drawing prep, and proof of service).
Tip: Invalid Notices cause the entire process to restart—delaying your build and often increasing total cost. If you DIY, be meticulous.
3) Surveyor fees: typical ranges you’ll see
Works, risk, and complexity drive fees. Light internal alterations to a party wall are not the same as a basement dig or deep piles.
- Agreed Surveyor (one surveyor acting impartially for both owners):
~£300–£2,000 total.
Faster and usually cheaper—best when risk is modest and both neighbours are comfortable with a single point of contact. - Two-Surveyor route (one for each owner):
- Building Owner’s Surveyor: typically £300–£2,500+
- Adjoining Owner’s Surveyor: typically £300–£2,500+
Complex projects (deep excavations, basements, significant structural works) and multiple neighbours can push fees higher due to the time required to review design, sequence, temporary works, protections, and damage risk.
4) Additional (sometimes necessary) cost items
These don’t apply to every job, but where risk is higher they’re common and legitimate.
- Checking / Advising Engineer
An independent structural engineer engaged by the Adjoining Owner’s Surveyor (or Agreed Surveyor) to technically vet the design and construction method. Fees vary with complexity (e.g., basements, contiguous piling, significant underpinning), but expect £500–£2,500+.
Purpose: reduce technical risk and set clear method safeguards inside the Award. - Third Surveyor referral
Only used if the two appointed surveyors cannot agree on a point. The Third Surveyor determines the issue and awards costs (often to the losing party on the point). Budgets vary widely: £750–£3,000+, depending on the complexity and amount of evidence to review.
Good practice: competent surveyors will try hard to avoid referrals. - Security for Expenses (Section 12)
Not a fee but a ring-fenced sum the Building Owner may have to lodge for high-risk works (e.g., basements, deep excavations, significant temporary works). Quantum is set by agreement or determined by surveyors and is returned (less any justified drawdowns). - Monitoring & temporary protection
Crack/level monitoring, vibration limits, scaffolds/hoardings, sheeting of vents/flues, trench support time limits, etc. Costs vary with scope.
5) What pushes costs up? (and how to keep them down)
Drivers of higher fees
- Complexity & risk: basements, underpinning, piles, close/differential foundation levels;
- Missing or evolving design info: unclear depths, omission of temporary works or sequences, late revisions;
- Multiple adjoining owners: each owner is a separate file—more awards;
- Adversarial stance: long email chains, entrenched positions, or avoidable Third Surveyor referrals.
Cost control tactics that work
- Start early. Serve valid Notices on all relevant owners, with complete drawings (especially for Section 6 excavations—plans/sections/depths).
- Share a robust pack. Final drawings, method statements, underpinning details, temporary weathering, and access needs. Clarity reduces queries.
- Propose an Agreed Surveyor where appropriate. For modest risk jobs, it’s usually faster and cheaper.
- Engage politely. A respectful tone and willingness to add sensible protections often avoids Third Surveyor referrals.
- Aim for fixed fees. For your own surveyor, seek a fixed or capped fee tied to clear deliverables.
- Pick experience over the cheapest. Inexperience often costs more in the end (slow progress, missed requirements, preventable disputes).
6) What an Award typically includes (so costs don’t spiral on site)
- Scope & drawings: the notifiable works being authorised;
- Time & manner: e.g., hand tools adjacent the party wall, vibration limits, trench support time limits;
- Access (Section 8): extent, timing, protection, reinstatement;
- Temporary works & weathering: sequences, coverings, scaffold rules;
- Damage protocol: schedule of condition, claim routes, making-good vs compensation, timeframes;
- Dispute provisions: how disagreements are escalated (and ideally, avoided).
Well-written, contractor-friendly awards save time and money by preventing on-site friction and rework.
Simple Survey: fixed, transparent pricing (nationwide)
Notices
- Drafting & service (per Adjoining Owner) ………….. £25
Awards
- Agreed Surveyor Award (both owners) …………… from £300 (fixed)
- Building Owner’s Surveyor (two-surveyor route) … from £325 (fixed, our side)
We’re experienced building surveyors, RICS-qualified, and we keep everything plain-English and buildable. Fixed fees, no surprises.
Quick FAQ
Can my neighbour charge me for access?
Not for statutory Section 8 access. They can be protected (and made whole for damage), but can’t levy a “ransom fee.”
What if the Adjoining Owner’s surveyor’s fee seems high?
Raise it with your surveyor. Fees must be reasonable. Where agreement isn’t possible, the Third Surveyor (or on appeal, the court) can adjust them.
Are DIY Notices a good idea to save money?
Only if you’re confident about ownership checks, content, drawings, and service methods. If invalid, you’ll lose time—and often pay more overall.
Need a cost-certain plan for your project?
Send us your drawings and addresses. We’ll confirm what’s notifiable, who must be served, and give you a fixed-fee pathway from Notices to Award—without drama.
Simple Survey — Nationwide • Fixed Fees • Experienced & Qualified
📧 team@simplesurvey.co.uk