by Simple Survey | Oct 23, 2025 | Article
Planning a loft, extension or basement and wondering whether you can swing a crane over next-door’s garden or drop a scaffold on their land? Two routes might apply: Licence to Oversail / Scaffold Licence – a private agreement (a licence) for your works or equipment to...
by Simple Survey | Oct 23, 2025 | Article
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...
by Simple Survey | Oct 21, 2025 | Article
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...
by Simple Survey | Oct 20, 2025 | Article
Short answer: no—not when they’re acting under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. A party wall surveyor’s legal powers (their jurisdiction) are tightly defined by the Act. Those powers let surveyors regulate how notifiable works are carried out near shared walls and...
by Simple Survey | Oct 20, 2025 | Article
Basement projects are structurally demanding and almost always activate the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. If your excavation will be within 3 metres of a neighbour’s house, extension, wall or other structure and deeper than their foundations, you must serve a Section 6...
by Simple Survey | Oct 16, 2025 | Article
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...
