How much does a party wall agreement cost? (2026 fees)

Our fixed fees

Domestic extensions and loft conversions. Fixed fees, invoiced on completion; we take enquiries only, with no online payment. If your neighbour appoints their own surveyor, the building owner normally pays that surveyor’s reasonable fees as well (s.10(13)), and those are set by that surveyor, not by us.

These fees cover domestic extensions, loft conversions, knock-throughs, chimney breast removals and similar work. Larger or unusual projects, such as basements or multi-unit developments, are quoted individually. All fees are fixed and invoiced on completion of the work, because only then do we know which quoted elements (notices, Schedule of Condition, Award) have been carried out; people do not normally pay upfront for party wall surveying, and this is an enquiry-only website with no online payment.

What you actually pay depends on your neighbour

For a mid-terrace house with work affecting both party walls, multiply by neighbour where relevant: notices to all neighbours are still one £150 fee, but each extra Schedule of Condition is £399 + VAT.

Why the neighbour’s surveyor is paid by you

Under section 10(13), the reasonable costs of making the Award, of reasonable inspections and of other matters arising from the dispute are paid by whichever party the surveyors determine. The government’s explanatory booklet says that usually the building owner pays all of these, including the adjoining owner’s surveyor’s fees, if the works are solely for the building owner’s benefit. That is the normal position on domestic projects. See who pays party wall surveyor fees.

We cannot quote another firm’s fees. They are set by that surveyor and must be reasonable; if you think a fee is unreasonable, the booklet says you can ask for a breakdown, such as the hourly rate and number of hours.

What drives the total cost

• Number of adjoining owners. A detached house with one neighbour within the section 6 distance is simpler than a mid-terrace with two party walls and flats behind.
• How the neighbours respond. Consent with a Schedule is the most economical route that still protects everyone.
• Agreed Surveyor or two surveyors. One surveyor means one fee; two means two, plus correspondence between them.
• Complexity. Basements, underpinning and work to fragile walls need more information, more checking and sometimes specialist input.
• Quality of your drawings. Clear engineer’s details reduce queries and time.
• Changes on site. New or altered work after the Award may need an addendum.

Other costs to budget for

• Structural engineer’s drawings and calculations, which you will usually need anyway for Building Regulations.
• Making good any damage, or a payment in lieu if the neighbour asks for one (s.11(8)).
• Security for expenses on more intrusive work, if the neighbour requests it and it is agreed or awarded (s.12). The money remains the building owner’s, held as security.
• Any works the Award requires for protection, such as temporary weathering or flue capping.
• Carrying up a neighbour’s flue or chimney if you raise a party wall around it (s.2(3)).

How to keep party wall costs down

1. Talk to your neighbours before the notice arrives.
2. Serve a clear, complete notice with drawings, so they understand what is planned.
3. Offer a Schedule of Condition, so consent is an easy choice for them.
4. If they dissent, suggest an Agreed Surveyor: one impartial surveyor acting for both.
5. Serve early so nobody is under time pressure.
6. Brief your builder on the Award, and avoid unplanned changes.

Worked example: two neighbours, two outcomes

Illustrative only, outside London. Mark’s loft conversion affects both party walls of his mid-terrace. We serve notices on both neighbours (£150). The left-hand neighbour consents with a Schedule of Condition (first Schedule included in the £499 package). The right-hand neighbour dissents and agrees to us acting as Agreed Surveyor: we take a second Schedule and make an Award. Mark’s fees from us are the full package of £899 plus an extra Schedule of £399, so £1,298 + VAT, with no other surveyor’s fees. If the right-hand neighbour had appointed their own surveyor instead, Mark would also pay that surveyor’s reasonable fees.

Is the cheapest quote the best?

Fixed fees give you certainty, but check what is included: number of neighbours, Schedules, the Award, site visits and checking inspections. A low notice fee followed by hourly charges can cost more. Check too that the surveyor understands the Act and holds a relevant professional membership; all four of our surveyors (John Greenan, Carl Brady, Kevin Redman and James Metcalf) are members of the Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors (MFPWS).

What is included in our fixed fees

• Notices (£150 + VAT): checking ownership of each neighbouring property, preparing and serving the correct notices (section 1, 3 and 6 as needed) on every owner, with a covering letter and response form, and following up responses.
• Schedule of Condition: a site visit to the neighbour’s property, a written schedule with referenced photographs, and copies for both owners.
• Award (£400 + VAT): reviewing drawings and engineer’s details, drafting and serving the Award, and dealing with the other surveyor where one is appointed.

We will tell you before we start if your project falls outside these fixed fees, for example a basement or several flats.

Costs that can arise later

If damage is found when the work is checked, the cost of making it good, or a payment in lieu if the neighbour prefers (s.11(8)), falls on the building owner, along with the surveyors’ reasonable costs of dealing with it (s.10(13)). A good Schedule of Condition keeps that cost to what the works actually caused. Changes to the design after the Award may need an addendum.

Fees for adjoining owners

If you are the neighbour and the building owner’s works are solely for their benefit, you will not normally pay for the surveyor who acts for you or for the Award (s.10(13)). If you would like us to act for you, contact us; our fee is then normally recovered from the building owner in the Award. See your options as an adjoining owner.

Paying, and getting a quote

Send us your drawings or a short description of the work and the neighbouring addresses, and we will confirm which notices are needed and the fixed fee before we start. If the scope changes later, for example a design change after the Award, we will tell you in advance whether any additional fee applies and why.

Sources and further reading

• Party Wall etc. Act 1996, section 2: Repair etc. of party wall: rights of owner (legislation.gov.uk)
• Party Wall etc. Act 1996, section 10: Resolution of disputes (legislation.gov.uk)
• Party Wall etc. Act 1996, section 11: Expenses (legislation.gov.uk)
• Party Wall etc. Act 1996, section 12: Security for expenses (legislation.gov.uk)
• GOV.UK: The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 explanatory booklet
• GOV.UK: Party walls and building work
• Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors (FPWS)

Section references are to the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 as it applies in England and Wales, checked against legislation.gov.uk. This guide is general professional guidance, not legal advice; every project should be assessed on its own drawings.

Related: who pays for a party wall agreement and how to get a party wall agreement.

Sources: Party Wall etc. Act 1996 (legislation.gov.uk) · The Party Wall etc. Act 1996: explanatory booklet (GOV.UK) · Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors (FPWS). Last reviewed 27 October 2026. General guidance on the law in England and Wales, not legal advice.