If your Party Wall Award grants access onto a neighbour’s land—or, as an Adjoining Owner, your neighbour’s contractor needs access to yours—this guide explains how to make that access safe, limited, and drama-free.
The right of access is powerful, but it’s also tightly controlled. Use these practical tips to keep everyone protected and your programme on track.
1) Know exactly when access applies—and when it doesn’t
Access under a Party Wall Award is not a blanket, whole-project licence. It’s specific, time-limited and purpose-bound.
- Trigger: Access only applies to notifiable works (e.g., building up to/astraide the boundary, certain works to a party wall or party fence wall, or work expressly stated in the Award).
- Window: Awards set clear start/finish windows (days/weeks for typical flank-wall works; longer for complex jobs).
- Overstay protocol: If the contractor needs more time, don’t just carry on—ask the surveyor(s) to determine a reasonable extension. Proceeding without it risks breach and costs.
- Hours & nuisance: Expect limits on working hours, noisy operations, weekend/Bank Holiday working, and temporary suspensions during sensitive neighbour times (e.g., exams, medical needs) where agreed.
Pro tip: Put the awarded access dates and daily working hours on the contractor’s look-ahead. Treat them like milestones (with reminders) to avoid unintentional overstays.
2) Get protections right—before anyone sets foot next door
Protection measures are there to prevent disputes and keep goodwill high. Awards usually specify simple, practical protections the contractor must install in advance of access:
- Perimeter & security: Temporary timber hoarding or Heras fencing to define the route/compound, with lockable gates where required.
- Surfaces: Ground protection (boards/mats) for lawns, paving and paths; clear routes for barrows/plant to minimise trampling and rutting.
- Fabric & openings: Protection to walls, copings, parapets, windows and fragile finishes adjacent to working areas.
- Environmental controls: Dust suppression (misting, sheeting), debris control, clean-as-you-go standards, and sheeting to prevent migration of dirt into adjacent spaces.
- Lighting & safety: Adequate temporary lighting and signage on access ways; no unguarded drops or open edges.
- Welfare & storage: If a micro-compound is permitted, expect limits on size, items, and duration; fuels and chemicals typically prohibited on neighbour land unless expressly allowed.
Pro tip: Walk the route with the neighbour before Day 1 of access and confirm protection placements match the Award drawings/clauses. Snap simple “before/after” photos of access routes and protection installs to show good practice.
3) Understand what access doesn’t allow
- No general site takeover: Access is only for the works listed in the Award. No add-ons, no creeping scope.
- No unlimited plant: The Award normally restricts plant type, weight, set-downs and storage on the neighbour’s land.
- No unilateral variations: If the method or design changes (e.g., deeper excavation, different equipment), pause and seek a variation award.
- No refusal once awarded: An Adjoining Owner can’t veto awarded access. If disagreements arise, the surveyor(s) decide what’s reasonable—not the owners.
4) Keep communications crisp and courteous
- Name one site contact for the neighbour (no “phone ping-pong”).
- Give a mini-programme of access days 3–5 working days in advance; re-confirm the afternoon before.
- Flag “noisy days” so neighbours can plan (pets, home working, deliveries).
- Report issues immediately: If anything is damaged or a protection slips, fix/replace promptly and tell the neighbour what was done.
Pro tip: A short weekly email—“what we did / what’s next / anything to watch for”—often prevents small concerns becoming formal complaints.
5) Tidy, reinstate, and hand back on time
- Daily housekeeping: Clear routes at the end of each day; don’t leave materials on the neighbour’s side unless explicitly allowed.
- Completion: Remove protections carefully, make good any disturbed ground/edgings, pressure-wash where agreed, and reinstate gates/furniture as found.
- Hand-back: Confirm in writing that access has ended and list any residual snagging with a date for completion.
Pro tip: For turf/soft landscaping, agree a simple reinstatement spec (topsoil, seed/turf grade, watering responsibility, reasonable establishment period).
6) If something goes wrong—escalate the right way
- Delay looming? Ask surveyor(s) for an access extension before you overrun.
- Protection dispute? Request a short site meeting with surveyor(s) to agree a tweak rather than arguing by email.
- Damage alleged? Acknowledge swiftly, inspect, agree a proportionate remedy route (contractor make-good vs. quotes), and keep it within the Award’s framework to avoid unnecessary legal spend.
Simple, fixed nationwide fees (RICS-qualified)
| Service | What’s included | Fixed price* |
|---|---|---|
| Party Wall Notice (per Adjoining Owner) | Draft, legal validation, service & tracking | £25 |
| Agreed Surveyor Award | One impartial surveyor for both owners; Award drafting & service | from £300 |
| Building Owner’s Surveyor (two-surveyor route) | Liaison/negotiation, Award drafting & service | from £325 |
*Complex schemes (e.g., basements, deep excavations, advising engineer, security for expenses, monitoring, intricate access logistics) may require specialist input. We flag all extras up-front.
Access doesn’t have to be awkward
With clear limits, sensible protections and respectful communication, it can be routine and painless.
Email your plans (PDFs are perfect) to team@simplesurvey.co.uk and we’ll map your access strategy, highlight any red flags, and quote you a fixed fee.
Simple Survey — Nationwide • Fixed Fees • Experienced & RICS-qualified
FAQ
Q1: Can the neighbour charge me for access?
No. If access is awarded for notifiable works, it’s a legal right, not a commercial licence. The Award governs timing, extent, and protections—not payment for access.
Q2: Our contractor needs a few extra days—what now?
Don’t overstay. Ask the surveyor(s) to determine a reasonable extension under the Award. Overrunning without approval can trigger a breach and costs.
Q3: The neighbour says “no entry today” despite the Award—what should we do?
Stay calm. Notify the surveyor(s) immediately. They will direct compliance with the Award. Do not force entry or escalate on site.
Q4: Can we change the access route once works begin?
Only with the surveyor(s)’ agreement (often via a short written determination or variation). Changing routes impacts protections and risk—get it recorded.
Q5: Who pays for protections and making good?
Ordinarily the Building Owner pays for reasonable protection, maintenance of those measures, and reinstatement/making good per the Award.
Q6: What if damage is alleged during access?
Acknowledge promptly, inspect, agree a remedy route, and action it under the Award. Quick, fair make-good is almost always cheaper than letting issues fester.