A practical, professional guide before you commence works
If your project triggers the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, you’ve been handed both a legal framework and a prevention tool. Use it well and you’ll cut risk, cost, and delays. Ignore it and you invite injunctions, neighbour friction, and spiralling fees. Here’s how to stay firmly on the smooth path.
1) Give the Act the respect it deserves
- See the value, not just the cost. The Act is there to enable your works while protecting your neighbour’s property. If you were on the other side, you’d want the same safeguards.
- Expect scrutiny. Party wall surveyors will look at your proposals through the lens of the adjoining owner’s risk. That’s the whole point—and why projects that embrace the process progress faster.
- Avoid false economies. DIY notices, missing drawings, or casual timelines often lead to invalidity and re-service, pushing your programme back weeks.
2) Start early—statutory clocks don’t bend easily
The Act builds in minimum lead times. These can only be shortened if the adjoining owner agrees, and many won’t. Work back from your intended start date and give yourself breathing room.
- Serve Notices in good time (remember: Section 2 needs 2 months, Sections 1 & 6 need 1 month minimum before works).
- Allow postal float and real-world admin (surveyors, inspections, Award drafting, and service).
- Be proactive with neighbours. A heads-up meeting and a plain-English overview of the works/payments/duration often shifts responses towards consent or an Agreed Surveyor, saving time and money.
3) Put the Party Wall Award into your contractor’s hand
Your Award is not shelf décor. It is binding and sets out the time and manner of the notifiable works.
- Brief the site team. Walk the contractor through:
- Method limits (e.g., hand tools/non-percussive at the party wall)
- Access protocols (Section 8 timing, protection, supervision, reinstatement)
- Protection measures (temporary works, sequencing, monitoring if specified)
- Working hours and nuisance controls
- Police the detail. Failure to follow the Award (e.g., hammer drilling into the party wall when the Award says hand tools) is the fastest route to damage, claims, and enforcement.
- Keep drawings aligned. Ensure the Award references the final construction set. If the design changes materially, tell the surveyor(s) early—variations may require further agreement.
4) Stay visible and reachable during the build
Surveyors resolve the Act’s dispute; they shouldn’t be your neighbours’ only hotline.
- Share a direct contact. Give the adjoining owner a name and number for quick issues (dust ingress, noisy operations outside hours, access queries).
- Log issues fast. If something crops up, photograph, time-stamp, and notify your surveyor(s). Rapid, calm responses stop small matters becoming formal disputes.
- Be predictable. Confirm noisy or disruptive tasks in advance; honour access windows; tidy daily. Professional conduct = calmer neighbours = fewer referrals and delays.
A quick pre-start checklist
- Notices served correctly (right owners, right sections, right timings)
- Section 6 notices include required plans/sections (with foundation levels)
- Schedule of Condition completed and acknowledged
- Award served, understood by you and your contractor
- Access arrangements agreed (if needed) and scheduled
- Single point of contact shared with the neighbour
- Contingency for design tweaks / surveyor questions
Typical pitfalls to avoid
- Invalid notices (wrong owner, wrong service method, missing excavation drawings).
- Assuming neighbour consent—treat it as a bonus, not a baseline.
- Late engagement of surveyors—compressing timelines forces rushed work and risks.
- Contractors “value-engineering” protections out of methods—this is non-compliance and can void your cover in a dispute.
- Radio silence—nothing escalates faster than unanswered messages during noisy work.
Simple Survey — clear, fixed pricing (nationwide)
Our 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 for our side
We also work to keep your neighbour’s surveyor’s hourly fees reasonable and contained.
Why hire us
- RICS-qualified building surveyors (proper building-pathology know-how)
- Nationwide coverage and fixed fees—no surprises
- Calm, neighbour-first approach that keeps projects moving and costs down
Ready to avoid party wall problems before they start?
Email your drawings and target start date to team@simplesurvey.co.uk.
We’ll confirm what’s notifiable, serve valid Notices, and steer you to a robust Party Wall Award—so your contractor can build with confidence and your neighbour sleeps easy.
Our fees are always fixed. We’re nationwide. We’re both experienced and qualified.