Party wall matters have a habit of arriving just when you already feel stretched.
- As a building owner, you’re juggling designs, planning, budgets and contractors – then you discover there’s a legal process to follow, extra costs to consider and a risk of delay if it’s mishandled.
- As an adjoining owner, you may be finding out – sometimes at very short notice – that work next door carries a risk to your property and that the neighbour’s contractor may even have a legal right of access to your land.
On both sides of the fence, it’s very common to feel overwhelmed, unsure who to trust and worried about getting it wrong.
This guide is written from a neutral standpoint and aims to simplify how you get reliable party wall help, what to look for in a surveyor and how to keep the process proportionate, calm and under control.
1. Start With the Basics: What Help Do You Actually Need?
Before you start calling surveyors, it helps to clarify what you’re looking for:
- Building Owners typically need help to:
- Confirm whether their works are notifiable
- Serve valid Party Wall Notices
- Navigate responses (consent vs dissent)
- Agree a Party Wall Award so works can proceed lawfully
- Adjoining Owners typically need help to:
- Understand what’s being proposed and how it affects their property
- Decide how to respond to a Party Wall Notice
- Ensure adequate protections are in place if they dissent
- Deal calmly and fairly with any damage or issues during the works
If you speak to a surveyor and they can’t clearly explain how they’ll help you with your side of that picture, keep looking.
2. Make Sure the Surveyor Is Properly Qualified
One of the biggest hidden risks in party wall work is this:
Under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, any person who is “not a party to the matter” can call themselves a party wall surveyor.
There is no minimum qualification or statutory experience requirement built into the Act’s definition. That means the market is full of:
- Very experienced, highly qualified specialists
- Newly rebranded “party wall surveyors” with little or no building pathology knowledge
- People whose only training may be a short online course
To simplify your search and reduce risk:
Look for genuine professional accreditation
We strongly recommend favouring surveyors who are members of a recognised professional body such as:
- RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) – AssocRICS, MRICS or FRICS
- Or another established chartered body with a strong construction / building pathology base
These designations are not “clubs” – they require:
- Formal education and/or structured training
- Demonstrable experience
- Passing assessments and professional interviews
- Ongoing professional development and compliance with ethical standards
It doesn’t automatically make someone perfect, but it dramatically increases the chance they understand:
- The Act and relevant case law
- Construction risk, damage mechanisms and practical protections
- How to draft robust, clear and enforceable Party Wall Awards
If a surveyor can’t explain their qualifications, experience and insurance cover clearly – that’s your cue to be cautious.
3. Talk About the Works Early and Openly
The Party Wall Act is built on notification and dialogue. Whether you’re a building owner or an adjoining owner, you’ll make your life easier if you talk early.
If you’re the building owner
- Explain the planned works before the notice drops through the door.
- Show your neighbour the drawings – in plain English.
- Acknowledge that there is risk and that you intend to manage it properly.
- Make it clear you intend to follow the full legal process under the Act.
This doesn’t guarantee consent, but it:
- Reduces suspicion
- Encourages a more measured response
- Often makes adjoining owners more comfortable with an Agreed Surveyor route (see below), which is typically faster and cheaper.
If you’re the adjoining owner
- Ask questions – about methods, timings, access, and protections.
- Tell the building owner you’re taking advice and want to understand your options.
- Don’t assume you’re being “awkward” by doing so; the Act is there to protect you for precisely this reason.
Open conversation reduces the chance of things escalating into genuine personal disputes.
4. Consider Whether an Agreed Surveyor Is Right for You
One of the simplest ways to keep the process streamlined is to use an Agreed Surveyor – a single, impartial surveyor appointed by both owners under Section 10 of the Act.
How an Agreed Surveyor simplifies things
- One surveyor instead of two – fewer emails, fewer delays, fewer conflicts.
- Single fee instead of two sets of surveyors’ fees.
- One point of contact for both owners.
- Typically quicker to agree and serve the Party Wall Award.
This route often works best where:
- The relationship between neighbours is reasonably civil
- The works are straightforward (loft conversion, modest extension, chimney breast removal, etc.)
- Both parties are comfortable with the same professional guiding the process impartially
When two surveyors may be more appropriate
In more complex, higher‑risk or sensitive situations (e.g. basement works, extensive underpinning, historic buildings, or very strained neighbour relations), each party appointing their own surveyor can sometimes be more appropriate.
Even then, good surveyors will work collaboratively, not combatively, to keep the process smooth.
5. Stay Calm About Costs – But Be Realistic
Costs are one of the biggest triggers of anxiety for both sides.
- Building owners worry that the surveying process will spiral.
- Adjoining owners worry they’ll somehow be left with a bill for simply protecting their home.
In most typical residential projects:
- The building owner pays the reasonable costs of the party wall procedures
- This usually includes:
- Their own surveyor’s fees
- The adjoining owner’s surveyor’s fees (if separate)
- Fees must be reasonable – surveyors don’t have a blank cheque
You can simplify and de‑stress this by:
- Asking upfront for fixed fees wherever possible
- Avoiding surveyors who are vague about costs or reluctant to give ballpark figures
- Recognising that a modest professional fee can prevent very expensive disputes or structural problems later
6. Use Your Surveyor as a Guide – Not a Weapon
Party wall surveyors are statutory appointees, not hired guns. Their legal duty is to:
- Act impartially
- Administer the Act
- Resolve the “dispute” through a Party Wall Award
You’ll get the best value from your surveyor if you:
- Treat them as a technical referee and guide
- Ask them to explain your rights and responsibilities – not to “take sides”
- Listen carefully when they explain what is and isn’t realistic or enforceable
If a surveyor markets themselves mainly on “fighting your corner” or “hammering the other side”, tread very carefully – that approach usually leads to:
- Higher costs
- Longer delays
- More stress for everyone
Simple Survey — Here to Make Party Wall Help… Simple
At Simple Survey, our aim is in the name: to make party wall procedures clear, predictable and proportionate for both building owners and adjoining owners.
- We’re RICS‑qualified and experienced in lofts, extensions, basements, chimney breast removals and structural alterations across England & Wales.
- We work on a fixed‑fee, nationwide basis for typical residential projects.
- We explain the Act and your options in plain English, so you can make informed decisions without the drama.
📧 team@simplesurvey.co.uk
If you’re unsure where to start, send us your drawings and a brief outline of the works, and we’ll tell you whether the Act applies and what your next step should be.
Simple Survey — Fixed Nationwide Cost Chart (Guide)
| Service | What’s Included | Fixed Fee (incl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Party Wall Notice (per Adjoining Owner) | Compliance check, drafting, service & response tracking | £25 |
| Agreed Surveyor Award | Single impartial surveyor acting for both owners | £300 |
| Building Owner’s Surveyor Award | Acting for Building Owner in a two‑surveyor route | £300 |
These guide fees apply to typical residential projects. More complex schemes (e.g. basements) may require a tailored fee proposal.
FAQ — Simplifying Party Wall Help
Q1: I’ve been told I need a Party Wall Surveyor. Can’t my architect just handle it?
Your architect can sometimes identify that the Act applies and even draft a basic notice, but the statutory role of “surveyor” under the Act is separate. For anything beyond the simplest of consents, you’ll want a surveyor who understands both the legal framework and building risk.
Q2: As an adjoining owner, do I have to pay for my own surveyor?
The building owner usually pays the reasonable fees of both surveyors. There are limited exceptions (for example, where costs are being apportioned for repairs under specific sections of the Act), but your surveyor should make this very clear from the outset.
Q3: Do I have to agree to an Agreed Surveyor if my neighbour suggests it?
No. It’s entirely your choice. An Agreed Surveyor can be efficient and cost‑effective, but if you’re uncomfortable with that route, you’re entitled to appoint your own surveyor instead.
Q4: What if I don’t like what my surveyor is saying — can I sack them?
Under the Act, once a surveyor is properly appointed in writing, their appointment cannot be rescinded by the owner. They can only cease to act if they die or declare themselves incapable of acting. That’s why careful selection at the start is so important.
Q5: Is it ever too late to get party wall help?
It’s always better to seek help before works start. Once notifiable works are underway without notices or Awards in place, things get more complicated and potentially more expensive. But even if you’re already mid‑project, it’s still worth speaking to a competent surveyor as soon as possible.
If you’re feeling lost in the noise of conflicting advice, we’re here to cut through it.
📧 team@simplesurvey.co.uk — send us your questions and we’ll help you map out the simplest, safest route through your party wall obligations.