If the Party Wall Act is the rulebook, Section 15 is the bit that tells you how to legally hand the rulebook to your neighbour.
It sets out the only permitted ways to serve (i.e., deliver) Party Wall Notices and Awards. Get service wrong and even a perfectly drafted notice can be invalid—delaying your project, voiding protections, and risking injunctions.
Below is a plain-English guide to doing service right the first time.
What Section 15 actually covers
Section 15 prescribes the methods of service for documents under the Act—primarily Notices (Sections 1, 2, 6) and Awards (Section 10). It also includes fallbacks when you don’t know an owner’s name or can’t reach them in person.
In short: it’s not about what your notice says; it’s about how you legally deliver it.
The valid ways to serve a Party Wall Notice
- By post (to an individual)
Post to the owner’s usual or last-known residence or place of business in the UK.- Best practice: obtain proof of posting (free from the Post Office).
- Avoid “Signed-For/Recorded” if possible; it can be refused, which creates arguments about service.
- As a rule of thumb, service is generally treated as effected two working days after posting.
- By hand (personal delivery)
Deliver to the owner directly or to a person at the premises who appears to be in occupation. Make a brief attendance note (time/date/who received). - Addressed to “The Owner” if names are unknown
If you don’t know the owner’s name (e.g., property is rented or records are unclear), address it to “The Owner” and deliver to the premises.- If no one is present, Section 15 allows you to fix the notice to a conspicuous part of the property (e.g., front door/gate). Photograph it in situ.
- By post to companies
For corporate owners, post or deliver to the secretary or clerk at the registered or principal office (Companies House details are your friend). Again, keep proof of posting. - By email (only if expressly agreed)
The Act (as amended) permits electronic service only where the recipient has stated they’re willing to receive documents by email and has provided an address.- Include their consent wording on file.
- If in doubt, do paper service as well.
Tip: Many projects involve more than one “Adjoining Owner” (e.g., freeholder + long leaseholder; multiple neighbours). You must serve each relevant owner correctly.
Common service errors that invalidate notices
- Wrong recipient (served on a tenant, not the owner; or wrong company entity).
- Wrong address (ignoring Companies House/land registry or last-known residence).
- Email without prior written consent to electronic service.
- Recorded delivery refused at the door (and no alternative service method used).
- Undated or unsigned notices (service date drives statutory periods).
- Missing mandatory particulars (e.g., Section 6 notices must include plans/sections showing site and depth of excavation; without them, the notice is defective).
- Serving only one joint owner when both are known and readily contactable.
- Serving outside statutory lead times (Section 2 = 2 months, Sections 1 & 6 = 1 month minimum).
- Letting the one-year life of a notice expire (a notice lapses 12 months after service if works haven’t started).
Proof of postage and service
Keep a simple service pack for each neighbour:
- Copy of the signed notice (dated).
- Proof of posting (certificate) and envelope screenshot/label, or a hand-delivery note (time/date/name) or photo evidence if affixed at the premises.
- For email, the recipient’s written consent to e-service and a sent-items copy.
When disputes arise, clean service evidence keeps projects on track.
DIY is allowed—but risky
The Act allows anyone to serve a notice. However, because service defects = invalidity, it’s easy to trip up (especially on Section 6 drawings, identifying all legal owners, corporate service, or where consent to email is uncertain).
If you’re on friendly terms with neighbours, DIY can work—but one missed technicality can unwind weeks of goodwill. That’s why most owners instruct a Party Wall Surveyor to draft and serve notices in full compliance with Section 15.
Simple Survey: low-cost, fully compliant service
- 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 Building Owner): fixed-fee proposals from £325 for our side
(we work to keep your neighbour’s surveyor’s hourly fees reasonable and contained)
We’ll:
- Identify every Adjoining Owner correctly (freeholder/leaseholder/companies).
- Prepare valid notices with the right statutory particulars (incl. Section 6 plans/sections).
- Serve by a Section 15-compliant method with robust proof of service.
- Manage responses and keep your programme moving toward a lawful Award where required.
Ready to serve valid notices?
Email team@simplesurvey.co.uk with your address(es), drawings, and proposed start window. We’ll confirm what’s notifiable, serve Section 15-compliant notices, and protect your timeline and budget from avoidable service mistakes.
Simple Survey — the most cost-effective party wall surveyors in England & Wales, and meticulous about getting Section 15 right.