Many building owners understandably want to keep the costs of their project and related professional fees to a minimum. That is entirely normal, and at Simple Survey we fully appreciate the importance of keeping expenditure under control wherever possible.
However, while cost-saving is a sensible objective, it should not extend to serving party wall notices yourself.
Although a party wall notice may appear to be a straightforward document — and templates are widely available online, including government-issued examples — in our experience, the service of party wall notices is best left to an experienced party wall surveyor.
Why Serving Your Own Notice Can Be a False Economy
At first glance, preparing and serving your own party wall notice may seem like a sensible way to save money. In practice, however, it often proves to be a false economy.
When a party wall notice is prepared and served by an experienced surveyor, the building owner has the reassurance that the notice has been correctly drafted, properly served, and is legally valid. This significantly reduces the risk of administrative or clerical errors that could invalidate the notice and bring the process to a halt.
Invalid notice service is one of the most common problems we encounter at Simple Survey where a building owner has attempted to serve their own notice.
In many cases, this does not simply mean correcting a minor mistake. It can result in the notice having to be re-served entirely, with the statutory notice period starting again from the beginning. That can cause unnecessary delay to the project and create avoidable frustration for everyone involved.
The Risk of Damaging Relations with the Adjoining Owner
Improperly served notices do more than delay the process. They can also create the wrong impression with the adjoining owner.
Where a building owner serves an invalid notice, an adjoining owner may reasonably take the view that the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 — and the impact of the proposed works on their property — has not been given proper care and consideration. That can make the adjoining owner more cautious, more sceptical, and in some cases more resistant to the process from the outset.
This is one of the key reasons why early professional involvement can be so valuable. A properly served notice demonstrates that the matter is being handled seriously, correctly, and with respect for the adjoining owner’s legal rights.
A Professional Point of Contact Makes a Real Difference
Another major advantage of instructing a party wall surveyor to serve the notice is that the adjoining owner is given a professional point of contact from the outset.
In many cases, adjoining owners have little or no construction knowledge, unless they have previously carried out similar works themselves. Receiving plans through the post, together with a formal notice and a request for response within a prescribed period, can feel daunting and, at times, alarming.
Having an experienced party wall surveyor available to explain the process, answer questions, and respond to concerns can make a substantial difference. Often, straightforward explanations and early dialogue are enough to alleviate concerns and encourage a more cooperative and constructive response.
That, in turn, can help matters progress more smoothly and reduce the risk of disputes developing unnecessarily.
The Cost of Professional Notice Service Is Relatively Low
It is also important to keep the issue in perspective. In the wider context of project costs and professional fees associated with construction works, party wall notice fees sit at the lower end of the cost spectrum.
At Simple Survey, our party wall notice fees start from just £35 plus VAT per adjoining owner.
Given the potential legal consequences of serving an invalid notice, the modest cost of instructing a professional from the outset represents very good value. It is a small investment that can help avoid delay, frustration, and additional cost later on.
Professional Input Can Also Help Reduce Overall Costs
There is a further practical benefit to using a surveyor at the notice stage.
In many instances, adjoining owners simply want the reassurance that the protections of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 are being properly observed. This is rarely a personal objection to the proposed works. More often, it is a reasonable desire to ensure that their property is protected and that any risks, nuisance, or inconvenience arising from the works are properly managed.
Those protections are often best delivered through professional surveyor involvement. A party wall surveyor will consider matters such as the nature of the works, the likely impact, and the appropriate safeguards needed to minimise risk and disruption.
Where a building owner has already instructed a surveyor to serve the notice, the adjoining owner may be more inclined to agree to the appointment of that same surveyor as an agreed surveyor, acting impartially for both owners. This can be highly advantageous to the building owner, as it often avoids the need for the adjoining owner to appoint their own separate surveyor.
That, in turn, can help keep overall costs lower, as the building owner may retain the benefit of a fixed-fee arrangement rather than having to meet the hourly-rated costs of a separately appointed adjoining owner’s surveyor.
Once an adjoining owner’s surveyor has already been formally instructed, they are naturally less likely to be competing on fee. At that stage, the building owner’s position in negotiating costs is often weaker than it would have been had the matter been professionally handled from the start.
The Smarter Approach
DIY notice service may appear attractive at first, but for the reasons above, it can often backfire. What appears to be a saving at the outset can quickly lead to delay, complication, damaged neighbourly relations, and higher costs overall.
The smarter approach is to get the notice right first time, ensure the process is handled professionally from the outset, and give both owners the confidence that the matter is being dealt with properly.
How Simple Survey Can Help
If you are planning construction works to your property and believe that party wall notices may be required — perhaps because your architect, contractor, or engineer has raised the issue — Simple Survey is here to help.
Send us a copy of your plans and we will take care of the rest. We can review the drawings alongside title plans, Land Registry information, maps and deeds, advise which adjoining owners should be notified, and provide you with a fixed-cost quotation together with clear guidance on the likely timescales for administering the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
We will also explain how we work and how we are able to offer some of the lowest fees in the market.
Over the years, we have undertaken thousands of instructions across England and Wales, from straightforward loft conversions, rear extensions and side extensions, through to internal alterations to flats and houses, as well as more complex structural works, demolitions, basement projects and underpinning.
That experience places us in an excellent position to help building owners secure a service that is cost-effective, time-efficient and professionally robust, while also ensuring that adjoining owners receive the impartial protections that the Act is designed to provide.
Get in Touch
If you need advice on party wall notices or would like us to review your plans, get in touch with Simple Survey today.
Email team@simplesurvey.co.uk and we will be very happy to assist and advise you.