Summary:
Delays and uncertainty around the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 can stall projects and inflate costs.
Simple Survey delivers fast, plain-English guidance the moment you need it—mapping your works to the correct sections of the Act, confirming who must be notified and how, and setting a clean, low-cost pathway to compliance.
With transparent, fixed pricing and same/next-day turnaround on core tasks, you stay on programme and on budget.
Why speed matters
Party wall issues tend to snowball when notices are late, invalid, or sent to the wrong owners. Each misstep risks re-serving, restarting statutory clocks, and inviting avoidable disputes. Rapid, correct advice upfront prevents those spirals:
- Clarity first time: We identify which parts of your scheme trigger Section 1 (new walls at the boundary), Section 2 (works to party structures) and/or Section 6 (adjacent excavation).
- Correct owners, correct content: We confirm who is legally an “owner” for notice purposes and ensure the notice includes what the Act requires.
- Valid service now, not later: We prepare and serve notices swiftly and lawfully so the statutory period starts once, not twice.
- Momentum throughout: If responses stall, we move you promptly to the next step in the Act’s process—without drama.
What “fast advice” looks like with Simple Survey
- Rapid scoping: A short briefing is enough for us to map your works against the Act and give you immediate next steps.
- Same/next-day documents: Compliant notices prepared and ready to serve at speed.
- Neighbour-ready messaging: Clear covering notes that explain the process in plain English, reducing knee-jerk dissents.
- Proportionate strategy: We do exactly what the Act requires—no inflated scope, no unnecessary extras.
Transparent, low pricing (cheapest like-for-like)
- 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 party doing the works): fixed-fee proposals from £325 for our side (the other surveyor may charge hourly; we work to keep those costs reasonable and contained)
- Complex schemes (deep excavations, multi-owner blocks): we still frame fixed pricing so your exposure stays predictable.
If you receive a genuine like-for-like written quote that beats ours, we’ll beat it.
How we compress timelines—without cutting corners
- Scope the legal triggers
We confirm which sections of the Act apply, who is “adjoining owner” for each element, and whether any special constraints (e.g., freeholder/leaseholder layers) affect notice strategy. - Serve valid notices, fast
We compile compliant notices and serve them promptly using permitted methods under the Act so the statutory period begins immediately. - Manage responses cleanly
We field questions, track deadlines, and—if there’s no reply—advance to the next formal step on time, every time.
Typical FAQs
How quickly can you start?
Usually same or next working day for preparing notices once we have the basics. Our aim is to get you lawfully “on the clock” immediately.
Do I really need to serve notices?
If your works fall under Sections 1, 2 or 6, yes. Serving valid notices is a legal requirement and unlocks the Act’s rights and protections.
Can I do my own notices to save money?
You can—but invalid notices reset the statutory clock and often cost more overall. Our £25 per ownership service is a low-risk way to get it right first time.
Is an Agreed Surveyor quicker?
Often. If both sides are comfortable with a single impartial surveyor, it can streamline the process and reduce cost.
What if the other side appoints their own surveyor on an hourly rate?
We keep the scope tight, the documentation clear and the issues focused—so there’s less room for fee inflation. We challenge costs that aren’t reasonable under the Act.
Do you cover complex, multi-owner buildings?
Yes. We’ll still propose fixed pricing and a clean strategy for layers of freeholders and long leaseholders.
Who pays the fees?
Generally, the party carrying out the works pays the reasonable costs of administering the Act. Our model keeps those costs the lowest we see on a like-for-like basis.
Why Simple Survey
- Fast, compliant action: Notices prepared and served quickly so your statutory periods run without re-serving.
- Predictable budgets: Fixed, published fees—no open-ended hourly meters for standard work.
- Plain-English guidance: We cut through jargon and give you decisive steps you can act on today.
- National coverage: England & Wales, with capacity to start quickly and keep momentum.
Get fast party wall advice—without the premium
Don’t let avoidable delays derail your programme or your budget. For rapid, compliant notices and clear, low-cost guidance through the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, contact team@simplesurvey.co.uk.
Simple Survey — fastest path to party wall compliance, at the lowest like-for-like price.