A Party Wall Award is often viewed as the “end of the party wall process”. In practice, it is the point at which the process either becomes efficient and controlled—or becomes slow, argumentative, and expensive. The difference is rarely the Act itself. The difference is how surveyors manage the drafting and agreement stage.
At Simple Survey, our approach is simple: make Awards easy to agree. That means standard structure, clear wording, prompt follow-up, and proactive problem-solving—even when the other side is uncooperative. This is not about cutting corners. It is about avoiding unnecessary complexity that creates delay and fees.
1) What’s a Party Wall Award?
A Party Wall Award is a formal document made under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, typically through the dispute resolution provisions (commonly associated with Section 10). It is used when the adjoining owner has not provided written consent—either because they have dissented or because they have not responded.
Put simply, the Award:
- sets out what is permitted and how it will be handled within the Act’s framework,
- and provides a clear route forward so the project can proceed lawfully.
An Award should not feel like a legal battleground. It should feel like competent project administration.
2) How an Award fits into the Party Wall process (Notice → Response → Award)
To understand why agreement matters, it helps to see the process clearly:
Stage 1: Notice
A building owner serves the appropriate notice (for example, a Section 3 notice for Section 2 works, or a Section 6 notice for excavation). Notices have minimum lead-in times (often 2 months for Section 2/3 and 1 month for Section 1 or 6).
Stage 2: Response
The adjoining owner consents, dissents, or does not respond. Where there is no written consent, the dispute resolution procedure is used.
Stage 3: Award (where required)
Surveyor(s) draft and agree the Award. The Award is the point that gives the works a structured, concluded footing under the Act.
The objective of the Award stage is not to “win points”. It is to finish properly.
3) The Real Reasons Why Awards Get Delayed!
Most Award delays are not caused by the project itself. They are caused by drafting and process choices that make agreement harder than it needs to be. The most common causes are:
- Overly bespoke drafting that introduces unfamiliar clauses and non-standard structure
- Unclear or excessive wording that triggers more questions than it answers
- Slow follow-up, allowing the file to drift with no urgency
- Reactive behaviour, waiting for the other side rather than proactively moving the matter forward
- Emotional correspondence, where tone becomes combative and positions harden
In professional terms: the drafting becomes a negotiation rather than a conclusion.
4) Standard templates are not “lazy” — they are efficient and fair
A well-run party wall process relies on consistency. There are good reasons surveyors commonly use standard templates and standard structures for Awards:
- They are familiar to the other surveyor, which reduces friction.
- They reduce the number of “novel” clauses that must be debated.
- They make it easier to spot the genuinely important project-specific points.
- They allow both sides to focus on what matters, rather than rewriting the document.
At Simple Survey, we believe standardised structure is a cost-control tool. When a surveyor departs heavily from standard templates without a clear reason, it often creates delay because the other side must review, question, and negotiate unfamiliar drafting.
This does not mean the Award should be generic. It means the format should be familiar, and the project-specific content should be inserted cleanly, not buried in inventive drafting.
A simple professional rule applies:
Only deviate from standard drafting where the project genuinely requires it.
5) “Complication” does not equal “protection”
Some surveyors draft Awards as though length and complexity automatically provide protection. In reality:
- unnecessary clauses create questions,
- questions create correspondence,
- correspondence creates delay and cost.
A good Award is not the one that tries to cover every theoretical scenario. It is the one that:
- is clear about what is happening,
- is proportionate to the works, and
- is easy for the other surveyor to agree.
Complex drafting often looks “thorough” but behaves like a brake on progress.
6) Follow up the Award regularly — drift is the enemy
One of the simplest ways to keep an Award moving is also one of the most neglected: regular, professional follow-up.
Follow-up does not mean harassment. It means maintaining momentum so the file does not fall to the bottom of someone else’s inbox.
At Simple Survey, we use a straightforward approach:
- Confirm when the draft has been issued and received.
- Agree a target date for comments.
- Chase politely but consistently if dates slip.
- Keep follow-ups short and factual.
Regular follow-up matters because party wall work is often one of many files a surveyor is handling. If no one follows up, it naturally drifts. Drift creates programme pressure, and programme pressure creates neighbour friction.
A well-managed Award process has a rhythm:
- draft issued,
- comments received,
- points resolved,
- Award agreed and served.
Without follow-up, that rhythm collapses.
7) Work proactively for results — even when the other side is difficult
Some matters are straightforward because both owners and surveyors behave reasonably. Others are not. The temptation when the other side is difficult is to become passive: “We’ve done our part; it’s their problem now.” That approach usually increases delay and cost.
A proactive approach does not mean conceding unreasonable points. It means:
- Identify what is genuinely blocking agreement
Is it one clause? A fee dispute? A point of principle?
Narrow it. Do not allow it to become “everything”. - Offer practical solutions
Often, a small drafting adjustment can remove friction without changing the substance. - Separate tone from outcome
A difficult email should not produce a difficult reply. Calm replies keep files moving. - Keep decisions focused
“We need agreement on X by Friday” is better than a long narrative. - Escalate only when necessary and only on specific points
A targeted escalation is sometimes required, but it should be used to resolve a defined blockage, not to vent frustration.
Even where the other side is difficult, a disciplined surveyor can still steer the matter to conclusion by controlling structure, correspondence, and momentum.
8) The Simple Survey approach to getting Awards agreed
Our approach is built around three principles:
- Standard structure, clear drafting
We use established formats and keep clauses readable, so agreement is easier and faster. - Active file management
We follow up properly. We do not allow files to drift unnecessarily. - Proactive problem-solving
We work through blockages calmly and practically, focusing on what is required to conclude the matter under the Act.
The result is usually a quicker, calmer conclusion—and a lower total cost.
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If you want Party Wall Awards handled efficiently—standardised where sensible, clear where it matters, and proactively managed to conclusion—contact Simple Survey. We focus on keeping the process straightforward and cost-controlled, even when the other side is difficult. We are built around low-cost fixed-fee pricing and aim to be the UK’s cheapest party wall surveyors, without compromising professional standards.
Get in touch with Simple Survey and let us keep your Award process moving: drafted properly, chased properly, and concluded properly.