The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 is statute: you can’t skip it, fudge it, or “sort it later.” If your works are notifiable, a Party Wall Notice must be served correctly and on time.
To make the process less mysterious, here’s a plain-English breakdown of what a Party Wall Notice actually is and how it works—plus how to keep it valid, fast, and affordable.
1) It’s a legal notice (and it carries real consequences)
A Party Wall Notice isn’t a courtesy letter; it’s a formal legal document.
- Building Owners must serve it before starting notifiable works (for example, cutting into a party wall, building at/astride the boundary, or excavating within three or six metres to certain depths).
- Adjoining Owners can’t ignore it: if they do nothing within 14 days, the Act treats that silence as a dissent, triggering the dispute-resolution process and the appointment of a surveyor(s).
2) Serving the notice starts the clock
Once a valid notice is served, statutory timers begin. Depending on the section of the Act, the notice must be in place one or two months before works can lawfully begin.
- That clock matters to your programme: it’s what lets you move from “planning” to “go.”
- If neighbours consent in writing, you may proceed under the Act (subject to the notice period and any agreed conditions). If they dissent or don’t reply, surveyors must be appointed and an Award agreed before you start the notifiable works.
3) If a notice is wrong, it’s invalid—and you’re back to square one
Invalid details (wrong owner names, missing statutory wording, no required excavation drawings for Section 6, improper service under Section 15, back-dating, etc.) mean the notice doesn’t count. You’ll have to re-serve and reset the clock—delaying your build and potentially incurring extra professional and contractor costs.
Our advice: use surveyor service rather than DIY. Notices are legal instruments; a tiny error can force the whole process to start again.
4) Dissent triggers surveyors—and the Building Owner pays
If your neighbour dissents (or doesn’t respond), the Act requires either:
- an Agreed Surveyor (one impartial surveyor for both parties), or
- two surveyors (one for each owner), with a third surveyor selected as a back-stop.
In almost all typical scenarios, the Building Owner covers the reasonable surveyor fees, since they’re the party initiating the notifiable works. A good Building Owner’s surveyor will keep the process proportionate, challenge excess, and push toward a timely, robust Party Wall Award.
5) Good news: notices aren’t expensive
Party Wall Notices don’t need to be costly. We keep them simple, valid and affordable:
- Simple Survey Party Wall Notice service: £25 per adjoining ownership (multi-notice bundles discounted)
- Market mid-price hovers around £50; some providers charge £100+ for the same step.
- If a dissent arises, we offer fixed-fee Party Wall administration so budgets stay predictable.
What should a valid notice include?
- Correct parties: full legal names and addresses for both Building Owner and Adjoining Owner(s).
- Right section(s) of the Act and clear particulars of the works (and for Section 6, plans/sections showing excavation positions and depths).
- Start date (respecting statutory lead times).
- Lawful service under Section 15 (by post, by hand, fixing to the premises where appropriate, or by email only if the Adjoining Owner has agreed to electronic service).
Why getting it right first time pays
- You protect your programme: no re-serving, no reset.
- You build trust: neighbours see you’re compliant and transparent, making consent or a smooth Award more likely.
- You contain costs: valid notices prevent duplicated fees, delays, and contractor downtime.
Keep it lawful. Keep it fast. Keep it affordable.
Simple Survey — transparent, fixed pricing:
- 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 for our side (we work to keep your neighbour’s surveyor’s hourly fees reasonable and contained)
Email team@simplesurvey.co.uk with your address, a brief outline of the works, and your drawings (provisional is fine). We’ll confirm what’s notifiable, serve valid notices quickly, and map the fastest, most economical route to consent or Award—so your build stays on track and on budget.