Under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, the duty to serve a valid Party Wall Notice sits squarely with the Building Owner—the person proposing the works. That notice can be prepared and issued by the Building Owner personally or by an authorised agent acting for them. The key is validity: if the notice is wrong on content, timing, service method or addressees, you can lose weeks re-serving (and risk injunctions if you’ve already started).
Here’s how it works in practice, who can serve, and when DIY makes sense.
The Building Owner serves
Legally, the Building Owner must notify every Adjoining Owner affected by notifiable works (works to a party wall/structure, building on/at the line of junction, or excavations within 3–6m to a lower depth). In simple terms, you can serve the notice yourself provided you:
- Identify all legal owners correctly (freeholders and any long leaseholders).
- Use the right notice type(s) (Section 1, 2 or 6) with the right lead-time (1–2 months, depending on section).
- Include the nature and particulars of the works (and for Section 6, plans/sections with depths).
- Serve by a permitted method (hand delivery, post, or email only where the recipient has agreed to receive it that way).
If any of the above is missing or wrong, the notice can be invalid. That usually means starting over—and the clock resets.
Party Wall Surveyors commonly serve
Most Building Owners ask a Party Wall Surveyor to draft and serve notices on their behalf. Why?
- Accuracy and completeness: your surveyor ensures the correct parties, sections, timings and drawings are covered—first time.
- Faster neighbour engagement: recipients can ring the surveyor directly to ask questions and respond promptly.
- Risk management: fewer invalidity traps (e.g., missing excavation drawings, wrong names/addresses, or forgetting a flat’s long leaseholder).
Appointment is simple: give written authority to your surveyor to serve “as agent”. You remain the Building Owner, but the paperwork is done professionally and fast.
Can architects or contractors serve?
Yes—architects, designers and contractors can serve notices as your agent, and many do. Be sure they are familiar with the Act’s strict content and service rules, and that Section 6 notices include compliant drawings and depths. If your architect or contractor is not fluent in party wall procedure, consider having a Party Wall Surveyor prepare the notices and your project team issue them if you prefer that workflow.
DIY serving: when it can make sense
If you enjoy a genuinely good relationship with your neighbour, a calm conversation followed by a DIY notice can work:
- Talk them through the scope and timing before anything formal arrives.
- Hand-deliver the notice, note the date, and keep a copy.
- Be clear how they can reply (consent, dissent with an Agreed Surveyor, or appoint their own surveyor).
Caution: DIY is most at risk when there are multiple owners (freeholder + long leaseholder), flats, company-owned titles, or adjacent excavations (where drawings are mandatory). If in doubt, get a surveyor to check or serve for you. The small fee to get it right is far cheaper than a month’s delay—or an injunction.
What actually matters for validity (whoever serves)
- Correct parties: serve every Adjoining Owner (not just the occupier) and the right addresses.
- Correct notice type and content: Section 1, 2, or 6 with sufficient particulars; Section 6 must include plans/sections showing distance and depth.
- Correct timing: 1 month (Sections 1 & 6) or 2 months (Section 2) before notifiable works start—unless the Adjoining Owner agrees in writing to shorten.
- Permitted service: personal delivery, post, or agreed email; keep proof of service.
- Clear response route: how to consent/dissent within 14 days.
Get these right and the process stays smooth. Get them wrong and everything slows down.
Our low, transparent fees
- 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
(we work to keep your neighbour’s surveyor’s hourly fees reasonable and contained)
We draft and serve fully compliant notices, field neighbours’ queries, and—where appropriate—guide you to the Agreed Surveyor route to save time and cost.
Need notices out today?
Email team@simplesurvey.co.uk with your address and drawings. We’ll confirm what’s notifiable, prepare and serve the correct notices same/next business day, and keep your programme moving—properly and legally.
Simple Survey — the cost-effective way to get Party Wall Notices right first time.