Section 1 of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 is commonly known as the “line of junction” section. It deals with building new walls at the boundary between properties where land of different owners adjoins. In domestic projects, this most often appears where a homeowner is planning an extension and intends to build a new wall right up to the boundary, or (in certain circumstances) astride it.
The reason Section 1 matters is that boundary construction feels personal to neighbours. Even where the works are perfectly lawful, a neighbour may worry that the boundary is being shifted, that their land is being encroached upon, or that the project will make future maintenance difficult. The Act’s purpose is to replace these anxieties with a procedure: notify properly, allow response, and, if agreement cannot be reached, use the statutory dispute resolution route.
From a practical perspective, there are three “programme killers” under Section 1:
First: leaving it too late. Boundary walls are often part of the early build sequence. If you serve notice late, you may find your excavation and foundation programme ready to go, but your boundary wall position not properly resolved. The cost is not merely professional fees; it is contractor downtime and re-booking.
Second: describing the proposal imprecisely. Neighbours respond poorly to vagueness. If the notice does not make it clear where the wall will be, how it relates to the boundary, and what the construction entails, the natural reaction is caution. Caution often means dissent, and dissent pushes the matter into the Section 10 route.
Third: misunderstanding what the Act can and cannot do. Section 1 is not a boundary dispute tool; it is a construction procedure. It gives specific rights, and it requires specific steps. Treat it casually and you invite challenge and delay.
At Simple Survey, we aim to prevent these issues by doing two things:
(1) ensuring the Section 1 position is treated as a serious, accurate project document, and
(2) aligning it to your programme early enough that statutory windows do not collide with site pressures. That is how low-cost party wall support stays genuinely low-cost: it prevents rework.
Neighbours also worry about whether Section 1 changes ownership of the boundary. It does not. The Act is a procedural regime governing certain works. Keeping the conversation anchored to “procedure” rather than “property claims” is often the difference between calm cooperation and entrenched opposition.
In short, Section 1 is manageable when you treat it as planned administration rather than a last-minute hurdle. Correct notice, clear description, and sensible timing are what keep matters moving.
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If you are building up to (or potentially astride) the boundary and want a disciplined, cost-conscious approach, contact Simple Survey. Notices start from £25 per adjoining ownership, and agreed surveyor administration is typically £300, depending on complexity and owners.