Letters do not replace notices. A notice must contain what the Act requires and be served properly (s.3, s.6, s.15). For the notices themselves use our notice templates, and for the neighbour’s written consent use the wording in our party wall agreement template. The letters below sit around them. Replace everything in [square brackets]. They are general guidance, not legal advice.
Which letter, when
| Letter | Who sends it | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Friendly letter before notice | Building owner | Before serving notice, ideally after a conversation |
| 2. Covering letter with the notice | Building owner | With the formal notice |
| 3. Request to appoint a surveyor (s.10(4)) | Either owner | When a dispute exists and the other owner has not appointed |
| 4. Notice of intention to enter (s.8) | Building owner | At least 14 days before entry is needed |
| 5. Reporting damage | Adjoining owner | As soon as damage is noticed |
Letter 1: friendly letter before notice
A short, plain letter before the formal notice does more to avoid disputes than anything else. It is not a notice and has no legal effect, so do not put a start date in it.
[Your address] · [Date]
Dear [neighbour’s name],
We are planning [a rear extension / a loft conversion / to remove the chimney breast] at [your address] and wanted to let you know before anything formal arrives. Because the work [involves the wall we share / is close to your foundations], the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 requires us to send you a formal notice. That is a standard step, and it gives you protection.
We expect the notice to reach you within the next [two] weeks. It will explain your options, including simply consenting, consenting on condition that the condition of your property is recorded first, or appointing a surveyor, whose reasonable fees we would normally pay.
We would be glad to show you the drawings. Please knock on the door or call us on [number].
Kind regards,
[names]
Letter 2: covering letter with the notice
Send this with the formal notice and a reply form. It tells the neighbour what to do next in plain English.
Covering letter
Dear [neighbour’s name],
Further to our [conversation / letter] of [date], please find enclosed a [party structure notice under section 3 / notice of adjacent excavation under section 6 / line of junction notice under section 1] of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, with [drawings / plans and sections].
Please read the notice and reply within 14 days using the enclosed form. If you do not reply within 14 days, the Act treats that as a dispute and surveyors will need to be appointed. You may consent, consent subject to a Schedule of Condition of your property, or appoint a surveyor. If you appoint a surveyor, we will normally pay their reasonable fees for this work.
The GOV.UK explanatory booklet on the Act is a useful free guide. Please contact us on [number] with any questions.
Kind regards,
[names]
Letter 3: request to appoint a surveyor under section 10(4)
Where a dispute has arisen and the other owner refuses or neglects to appoint a surveyor, s.10(4) lets you serve a written request. If they still have not appointed within 10 days, beginning with the day the request is served, you can appoint a surveyor on their behalf. Our guide to the s10(4) 10-day notice explains the detail.
PARTY WALL etc. ACT 1996: REQUEST UNDER SECTION 10(4)
To: [full name(s) of every adjoining owner] of [address]
A dispute has arisen under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 in relation to the notice dated [date] served under section [3 / 6 / 1] concerning work at [building owner’s property]. I/We have appointed [surveyor’s name and address] as my/our surveyor.
I/We now request, under section 10(4), that you appoint a surveyor within 10 days beginning with the day on which this request is served on you. If you do not, I/we may make the appointment on your behalf.
Signed: ____________________ Date: __________
Letter 4: notice of intention to enter under section 8
s.8 gives a building owner and their workmen a right to enter the neighbour’s land during usual working hours to carry out work under the Act. Except in an emergency, notice must be served on the owner and the occupier at least 14 days before the day of entry (s.8(3), s.8(4)). Keep it factual and specific. See access under section 8.
PARTY WALL etc. ACT 1996: NOTICE OF INTENTION TO ENTER (SECTION 8)
To: [owner(s)] and [occupier(s)] of [address]
Under section 8 of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, I/we give notice that [I/we / our workmen / our surveyor] intend to enter [describe the part of the land, e.g. the rear garden alongside the party wall] on [date], during usual working hours, for the purpose of [describe the work authorised by the Act, e.g. making good the face of the party wall under the Award dated (date)]. We expect access to be needed for [period].
Signed: ____________________ Date: __________
Letter 5: an adjoining owner reporting damage
If you are the neighbour and you notice new cracking or other damage, write promptly to the building owner and any surveyor appointed. Dated photographs help. Our damage claim guide explains what happens next.
Reporting damage
Dear [building owner’s name],
Re: party wall works at [address], [notice / Award] dated [date]
On [date] I noticed [describe, e.g. a new diagonal crack above the kitchen door on the party wall]. I enclose dated photographs. I believe this was caused by the works. Please arrange for [the surveyor(s) / your surveyor] to inspect and confirm how the damage will be made good or compensated.
Kind regards,
[name, phone]
Tone matters
In our experience, the projects that end in expensive disputes rarely start with a technical problem. They start with a notice pushed through the door with no warning. A conversation, then letter 1, then the formal notice with letter 2 changes the tone completely. Offer the neighbour a copy of the drawings and the Schedule of Condition, and give them a phone number that someone answers.
A couple planning a loft conversion speak to both neighbours, then send letter 1 with a copy of the drawings. Two weeks later they serve section 3 notices with letter 2. One neighbour consents subject to a Schedule of Condition. The other, a landlord living abroad, does not reply, so after 14 days a dispute is deemed to exist. The couple’s surveyor sends letter 3. Ten days pass with no reply, a surveyor is appointed on the landlord’s behalf, the Award is served and work starts on programme.
This is an illustrative scenario to show how the Act works in practice. It is not a real case, and the outcome on any real project depends on its own facts.
If you would rather we handled the letters
Our notice service (£150 + VAT for all your neighbours) includes covering letters and reply forms. Notices with a Schedule of Condition are £499 + VAT, and the full package with an Agreed Surveyor Award is £899 + VAT (£999 + VAT in London), with the Agreed Surveyor supplement of £50 currently waived.
How we can help
We have handled party wall matters on more than 750 projects across London, the South East and the Midlands. Our qualified surveyors prepare valid notices, Schedules of Condition and Awards on fixed fees, invoiced on completion, and can act as Agreed Surveyor for both owners. Call free on 08000 487897, take the 1-minute check or see our fixed fees. More short answers: party wall agreement questions answered.
This guide is general information on the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, which applies in England and Wales. It is written from our surveyors’ practical experience and is not legal advice; for a specific dispute, take advice on your own facts.
- Party wall agreement questions answered
- Party wall notices for building owners
- Party wall agreement surveyor
- Fixed fees: party wall agreement cost
- Do I need a party wall agreement? (1-minute check)
Areas we cover include Party Wall Agreement Hertfordshire · Party Wall Agreement Surrey · Party Wall Agreement Sussex and more.
Sources: Party Wall etc. Act 1996 (legislation.gov.uk) · The Party Wall etc. Act 1996: explanatory booklet (GOV.UK). Last reviewed 29 October 2026. General guidance on the law in England and Wales, not legal advice.