In short: no. Under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, surveyors are not site police and they do not supervise your contractor day-to-day.
Their powers are strictly defined by the Act. A party wall surveyor’s job is to make an Award that regulates the time and manner of the notifiable works, allocate responsibilities and costs where appropriate, and resolve disputes that arise under the Act.
Routine monitoring of construction or continuous inspections are not part of that statutory remit.
What the Act actually empowers surveyors to do
When a notice is dissented to (or deemed dissented), surveyors are appointed to resolve the dispute by producing a Party Wall Award. That Award sets the legal framework for how the notifiable works must proceed: methods, sequencing, restrictions on noisy operations, temporary protections, rights of access where necessary, and what happens if damage occurs. The surveyors can also deal with compensation, making-good or payment in lieu, and reasonable fees directly connected to administering the Act.
Crucially, that authority is tethered to the works as notified. If the Building Owner sticks to those works, and no damage occurs, surveyors have no automatic, roaming power to conduct periodic site checks or to “police” compliance like a clerk of works or building control officer.
Inspections: limited, not continuous
Awards often include the ability for surveyors to inspect at reasonable times, but this is not a licence for rolling, weekly attendance. In practice, inspections are limited to where they are necessary to discharge the Award—typically:
- If there is a material deviation from the notified design or method that could alter risk;
- If damage is reported or suspected;
- If the Award expressly requires a specific check (e.g., a one-off verification after a defined operation).
Outside of those situations, site oversight sits with the Building Owner and their contractor. If owners want proactive monitoring, that’s a private service outside the Act (for example, appointing an employer’s agent or clerk of works).
The Building Owner’s duty to notify changes
Because surveyors aren’t embedded on site, the Award’s wording puts the onus on the Building Owner to keep surveyors informed. If the design, sequencing or method of the notifiable works materially changes (say, switching from hand-cut chases to chase-cutting with power tools, altering foundation depths, introducing piling, or exposing the neighbour’s structure longer than the Award anticipates), the Building Owner must:
- Notify the surveyors promptly; and
- Pause the affected operations until the surveyors determine whether a further or varied Award is needed.
Proceeding with unnotified changes risks breaching the Award and can expose the Building Owner to enforcement and costs. The same duty applies when damage or incidents occur: the surveyors must be informed swiftly so the statutory damage procedure can be followed.
What Adjoining Owners should expect
If you’re the Adjoining Owner, an Award protects you because it binds how the works are carried out and sets a route to resolve damage or deviation. It doesn’t guarantee a surveyor standing guard next door. Your quickest route to action is:
- Report concerns early and in writing to the Building Owner and the appointed surveyors;
- Describe the change or damage clearly (dates, photos, what changed); and
- Ask for a site review if you believe there is a departure from the awarded method.
The surveyors can then decide if an inspection or a further Award is necessary.
Practical ground rules that keep projects smooth
- Clarity up front: The more precise the method statements and drawings behind the Award, the fewer “is this a deviation?” questions later.
- Communicate changes before they happen: Designers and contractors should treat the Award like a live constraint—flag alterations early.
- Use hand tools where specified: If the Award limits noisy or percussive methods near sensitive elements, don’t substitute power tools without approval.
- Don’t DIY variations: If the change touches a notifiable element, get the surveyors’ determination first.
Our clear, low-cost Party Wall fees
- 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
(we work to keep your neighbour’s surveyor’s hourly fees reasonable and contained).
We keep costs predictable and the process practical—so you don’t pay for site “policing” you don’t need, and you get fast attention when it is needed.
Need an Award that’s robust—and responsive when things change?
Email team@simplesurvey.co.uk with your drawings and address. We’ll confirm what’s notifiable, draft or validate your notices, and build an Award that makes responsibilities crystal-clear—so if a deviation or damage crops up, you’ve got a clean, enforceable path to resolution without spiralling fees.
Simple Survey — straight answers, fixed fees, and Awards that work on site.