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GuidesParty wall guides
Plain-English guides to the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 for building owners planning work and for neighbours who have received a notice. Written by our surveyors (John Greenan, Carl Brady, Kevin Redman and James Metcalf) and sourced from the Act and the government’s explanatory booklet.
For building owners: planning work
What is a party wall agreement?The pillar guide: consent vs Award, who needs one and what happens.The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 explained in plain EnglishSection by section: what the Act covers and how it works.Section 1: building a new wall on the boundaryLine of junction notices for new walls astride or up to the boundary.Section 2: rights of the building owner (cutting in, raising, underpinning)What you may do to a party wall, and the duties that come with it.Section 3: party structure notices explainedWhat a valid party structure notice must contain and how to serve it.Section 6 party wall notice: the 3 metre and 6 metre rules explainedHow the two excavation tests work, with diagrams.Party wall notice periods: 1 month vs 2 monthsWhich notice needs one month, which needs two, and the 14-day reply.The 14-day rule and deemed dissentWhat silence means after 14 days, section by section.The s10(4) 10-day notice: when a neighbour won’t appoint a surveyorHow the Act keeps things moving if a neighbour won’t engage.How much does a party wall agreement cost? (2026 fees)Our fixed fees, and what else you may have to pay.Who pays party wall surveyor fees?Section 10(13), the usual rule and the exceptions.Schedule of Condition: what it is and why you need oneThe before-works record that protects both owners.Consent vs consent with a Schedule vs dissent: your neighbour’s optionsThe four responses, compared for building owners.Agreed surveyor vs two surveyorsOne impartial surveyor or one each: how to choose.What is a Party Wall Award and what’s in it?What surveyors put in an Award and why it matters.Party wall agreements for loft conversions: a surveyor’s guideBeams, raised walls and chimneys: why most lofts need notice.Party wall agreements for rear and side-return extensions: a surveyor’s guideFootings within 3 m, boundary walls and flashings.Chimney breast removal and the Party Wall ActCutting away projections from a party wall, safely and lawfully.Inserting steel beams into a party wallKnock-throughs and lofts: cutting in for beam bearings.Basements and underpinning: party wall requirementsSection 6, underpinning a party wall and special foundations.Garden walls and boundary walls: when the Act appliesParty fence walls, boundary walls and fences explained.Party wall and flats: party structures, floors and leaseholdersFloors as party structures, and which owners to notify.Can I serve a party wall notice myself? (DIY vs surveyor)What you can do yourself, and the common mistakes.Party wall notice templates: what a valid notice must includeThe required contents for section 1, 3 and 6 notices.What happens if I start work without serving notice?Injunctions, lost rights and how to put it right.Damage to a neighbour’s property during works: how claims workSection 7(2) compensation, making good and payment in lieu.Access to a neighbour’s land under section 8Rights of entry, 14 days’ notice, and what is not covered.Security for expenses (section 12)A safeguard if works are left unfinished.Party wall and planning permission / building regulations: the differencesThree separate regimes, and why you may need all three.How long does the party wall process take? (timeline)Statutory time limits, step by step.Party wall notices when the neighbour is a landlord, tenant or councilFinding and serving the right owner on rented or council property.Party wall for new builds and detached houses: does it apply?No shared wall doesn’t always mean no notice.Selling a house during party wall worksDisclosure, paperwork and what to tell your buyer.Party wall glossary: building owner, adjoining owner, line of junction and morePlain-English definitions of every key term.How do I get a party wall agreement?The step-by-step process, from checking your works to consent or an Award.How long does a party wall agreement take?The statutory notice periods, and what decides how long an Award takes.Who pays for a party wall agreement?Normally the building owner, including the neighbour’s surveyor.Which works need a party wall agreement?Sections 1, 2/3 and 6 in pictures.
For adjoining owners: you’ve received a notice
I’ve received a party wall notice: what do I do?The pillar guide for neighbours: your four options and the 14 days.Should I consent or dissent to a party wall notice?Pros and cons, and why dissent isn’t hostile.Who pays for the adjoining owner’s party wall surveyor?Normally the building owner, and the exceptions.Agreed Surveyor vs your own surveyorHow each route works, and which suits you.What happens if I don’t respond to a party wall notice?Deemed dissent, the 10-day request and s.10(4).My neighbour is building without a party wall notice: what can I do?Talk, record, request notice, and when to take legal advice.How do I make a party wall damage claim?Compensation, making good and the evidence you need.Schedule of Condition: what neighbours need to knowWhat is recorded, why it matters and who pays.Party wall counter-notices: what can I ask for?What s.4 lets you require, the one-month deadline and who pays.Can I appeal a party wall Award?The 14-day deadline, the grounds and the costs risk.
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