Articles

If the Party Wall Act is the rulebook, Section 15 is the bit that tells you how to legally hand the rulebook to your neighbour. It sets out the only permitted ways to serve (i.e., deliver) Party Wall Notices and Awards. Get service wrong and even a perfectly drafted...

Section 10 is the engine room of the Party Wall Act. It only “switches on” when an Adjoining Owner dissents to a valid Party Wall Notice (or simply doesn’t respond within 14 days, which the Act treats as a dissent). From that moment, you’re in the Act’s formal...

Planning a new side or rear extension and need a brand-new wall along the boundary? That’s exactly what Section 1 of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 covers. This guide explains what a Section 1 Notice is, the response options for your neighbour, when you can (and can’t)...

When notifiable works carry higher-than-usual risk, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 gives an Adjoining Owner the right to ask the Building Owner for Security for Expenses. Think of it as a financial safety net: money held on standby so that, if works are abandoned or...

If your neighbour has already built a new wall for their extension and you now want to build off it rather than erecting your own independent wall, you’ll encounter the Party Wall concept of “making use”—often called enclosure costs. Far from being a penalty, this...

If you’re new to the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, one of the first practical questions is: who pays the surveyors? In most cases it’s the Building Owner (the party doing the notifiable works). But “most cases” isn’t “always,” and the Act’s test of reasonableness protects...

So you’ve served a Party Wall Notice and your neighbour hasn’t consented within 14 days—or they’ve replied to dissent. Don’t panic. A dissent doesn’t stop your project; it simply triggers the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 dispute-resolution procedure so the works can...

Short answer: yes—if your works are notifiable under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, you must serve a valid Party Wall Notice even when everyone’s on friendly terms. A friendly nod over the fence is great for neighbourly relations, but it isn’t a substitute for the...

Thinking about a loft conversion, rear extension or basement? If your plans touch a shared wall or involve excavations near a neighbour, you’ll meet a key figure: the party wall surveyor. Unlike most consultants, a party wall surveyor’s role is created by statute—the...

Short answer: yes—and that’s by design. Under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, once a dispute has arisen (because your neighbour dissented or didn’t reply within 14 days), Section 10 hands the pen to the appointed surveyor(s). Their statutory job is to determine the...

When a neighbour consents to your Party Wall notice, there’s nothing more to do. But if they dissent (or don’t reply within 14 days), the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 requires a dispute-resolution route. You have two choices: appoint one “Agreed Surveyor” to act...

Serving a Party Wall Notice correctly is not optional—it’s the foundation on which the whole Party Wall process stands. If service is invalid, the notice clock doesn’t start, responses can’t be relied upon, and you risk delay or even injunction. Under the Party Wall...

Under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, the duty to serve a valid Party Wall Notice sits squarely with the Building Owner—the person proposing the works. That notice can be prepared and issued by the Building Owner personally or by an authorised agent acting for them. The...

Take a breath. You still have options—but you’ll need to act methodically and right now. The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 is a procedural law with statutory timelines. You can’t bulldoze those deadlines, but you can minimise delay by serving valid notices immediately,...

Short answer: no. Under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, the statutory process is prospective, not retrospective. If notifiable works have already been carried out, you cannot “go back” and serve valid Party Wall Notices or obtain a lawful Party Wall Award for what has...

Even with competent contractors and a well-drafted Party Wall Award, construction carries risk. If the Adjoining Owner’s property suffers damage as a result of notifiable party wall works, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 provides a clear route to put things right—and it...

When a Building Owner serves a Party Wall Notice, the Adjoining Owner has three basic choices within 14 days: Consent in writing – confirming there’s nothing “in dispute” at that point. Dissent and appoint an Agreed Surveyor – one impartial surveyor acts for both...

Rear extensions are brilliant for creating open-plan living—but they almost always wake up the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. That’s because new foundations, drainage runs, and pad foundations for steels are frequently dug within 3 metres of a neighbour’s wall, house,...

Loft conversions in terraced and semi-detached homes almost always engage the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. The reason is simple: to create new habitable space you’ll typically cut steel beams into the party wall, raise parapets, or alter the roof structure at or near the...

When you’re working on or near a party wall, finesse beats force every time. Many Party Wall Awards specify “hand tools only” for sensitive operations—and for good reason. Hand tools dramatically reduce vibration, give finer control at the wall face, and lower the...

Horror stories about party wall fees usually have the same roots: vague drawings, late notices, frosty neighbours, and an open-ended hourly fee model. The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 is designed to facilitate works, not make them unaffordable—but you need to set the job...

Most party wall matters run to time: notices go out, responses come back, surveyors agree an Award and works proceed. But sometimes an appointed surveyor becomes unresponsive—emails unanswered, calls ignored, milestones slipping. Here’s what that means under the Party...

Party wall costs shouldn’t swamp your build budget. At Simple Survey, we’ve engineered a pricing model that’s lean, transparent and focused on doing the essentials really well—so you stay compliant with the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 without paying premium-rate mystery...

A properly served Party Wall Award is legally binding on both owners. If the Building Owner (the party doing the works) drifts from the Award—or ignores it altogether—the Adjoining Owner doesn’t have to tolerate it. The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 gives clear remedies to...

Short answer: No—not if access has been lawfully awarded and is genuinely necessary for notifiable works under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. The Act gives a Building Owner a statutory right of access to neighbouring land when it’s needed to carry out works “in...

Short answer: usually no. If your extension is lawful (planning/building regs) and your proposals fall within the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, your neighbour can’t use the Party Wall process to veto your project. What they can do is influence how and when you carry out...

If your neighbour didn’t respond to your Party Wall Notice and your follow-up 10-day request, you’re entitled under section 10(4) of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 to appoint a surveyor on their behalf so the process can move forward.It’s perfectly lawful — but it can...

If you’re planning an extension, loft conversion, basement, or new boundary wall, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may require you to serve formal notice on affected neighbours before you start. Here’s a plain-English guide to the three parts of the Act that most often...

If your project involves building on or near a boundary—think loft conversions, rear/side extensions, chimney alterations, or any excavation close to a neighbour’s foundations—the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 will likely apply. One of the most common causes of delay is...