Essex Party Wall Surveyors
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07738 718 690
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info@ksrpartywallsurveys.com
Call Us Now
07738 718 690
Email Us
info@ksrpartywallsurveys.com
Essex Party Wall Surveyors
Home >Building Owners

Party Wall Services for Building Owners

Planning an extension, loft conversion, or excavation? We handle your party wall obligations — from serving notice to issuing the Award — so your project stays on track.

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Learn About The Process

EST.
1997

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

As the Building Owner, The Legal Duty is Yours

If you’re planning work that affects a shared wall, sits on or near a boundary, or involves excavation close to a neighbouring property, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 places a clear legal obligation on you — the building owner — to notify your neighbours before a single tool is picked up.

Getting that process right protects you legally, keeps your project moving, and avoids the kind of neighbour disputes that can bring everything to a standstill. Our team manages the entire process on your behalf, from identifying which notices are required to drafting, serving and, where necessary, producing a legally binding Party Wall Award.

Years Experience
0 +
Cases Completed
2300 +
RICS Accredited
0 %

When Does the Party Wall Act Apply?

The Act applies in three specific scenarios. Understanding which applies to your project is the first step.

Loft Conversions

If steel beams need to be inserted into or supported by a party wall, or if the wall height is being raised, a notice must be served at least two months before works begin.

Extensions & New Foundations

Excavating within 3 or 6 metres of a neighbouring structure — depending on depth — triggers Section 6 of the Act. Most rear extensions fall within this scope.

Chimney Breast Removal

Removing a chimney breast that forms part of a shared wall is notifiable work. This is one of the most commonly overlooked triggers of the Act.

Basement Conversions

Basement and lower-ground excavations almost always trigger Section 6, and often Section 2 as well. Early notice and a thorough schedule of condition are essential.

What Sets Us Apart

We combine deep local knowledge with professional expertise to deliver a service that is thorough, honest, and entirely focused on your needs.

Party Wall Notice Preparation & Service

We identify which notices apply to your project, draft them correctly, and serve them on all relevant adjoining owners — including leaseholders and freeholders where both apply.

Agreed Surveyor Appointments

Where your neighbour is content for us to act as Agreed Surveyor for both parties, this is the most cost-effective route to a valid Party Wall Award. We remain impartial throughout. .

Party Wall Award (PWA)

When your neighbour dissents or does not respond within 14 days, we produce a legally binding Award setting out the rights, protections, and conditions under which work can proceed.

Schedule of Condition

A photographic and written record of the adjoining property’s condition before works begin. This protects you from spurious claims and provides clarity if any damage dispute arises.

Dispute Resolution

If your neighbour raises concerns or issues a counter-notice, we negotiate on your behalf and, where needed, work alongside a third surveyor to reach a binding determination.

Post-Works Inspection

Once your works are complete, we can carry out a final inspection to document the finished condition of both properties and formally close out the Party Wall process.

What Happens if You Don't Serve Notice?

The Party Wall Act contains no automatic enforcement mechanism — but the consequences of non-compliance can be severe, costly, and highly disruptive to your project.

  • Your neighbour can apply for a court injunction to stop work immediately
  • You may be required to undo work already completed, at your own cost
  • You could be held liable for damage claims with no Schedule of Condition as defence
  • Legal disputes can cost £8,000–£35,000 in fees and delay your project by months
  • Your building insurance may be invalidated if works proceed without compliance
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THE SIMPLE SOLUTION

Speak to Us Before Your Project Starts

A free initial consultation takes 15 minutes and gives you absolute clarity on what notices are required, when they need to be served, and how much it will cost.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long before my build do I need to serve a party wall notice?

It depends on the type of work. For works to an existing party wall — such as cutting in for steel beams, raising the wall height, or removing a chimney breast — notice must be served at least two months before your intended start date. For excavations near a neighbouring building under Section 6, one month’s notice is required. For a new wall on the line of junction under Section 1, one month’s notice also applies. The notice is only valid for 12 months, so don’t serve it too far in advance of your planned start. As a rule of thumb, get your notices served at the same time as you finalise your drawings — it runs alongside your planning and building regulations process, not after it.
In most cases involving a terraced or semi-detached house, yes. If your loft conversion requires steel beams to be inserted into or carried by a party wall, the wall height to be raised, or a chimney breast that forms part of the shared wall to be removed, the Act applies and you must serve notice at least two months before work begins. Some conversions — typically a basic Velux-style loft where no structural work touches the shared wall — may not trigger the Act, but this needs to be confirmed by a surveyor before you assume you’re in the clear. The scope of what triggers the Act is wider than most people expect.
Silence is not consent. Under the Act, if an adjoining owner does not respond within 14 days of receiving your notice, a dispute is legally deemed to have arisen — regardless of whether they have any actual objection. This triggers the surveyor appointment process, and a Party Wall Award must be prepared before works can begin. You cannot proceed on the basis that no response means no problem. We manage this process on your behalf, so a non-responsive neighbour simply moves the process into the formal Award track rather than bringing it to a halt.

No — not permanently, and not simply because they don’t want the work to happen. The Party Wall Act cannot be used to veto a project that you have a legal right to carry out. What your neighbour can do is dissent to your notice, which triggers the formal surveyor and Award process, and they can raise legitimate concerns about the timing, method, or protective measures associated with the works. They can also apply to the courts for an injunction if you begin work without following the correct process — which is why compliance matters. If you follow the Act correctly, your project will proceed. The Award may impose reasonable conditions, but it will not stop the work.

In the majority of cases, the building owner — you — pays all surveyor fees, including any fees incurred by a surveyor appointed by your neighbour. This is because it is your project that has necessitated the process. The most cost-effective route is to agree on a single Agreed Surveyor who acts impartially for both parties. Where each party appoints their own surveyor and those two surveyors cannot agree, a third surveyor is selected to make a determination — and their costs are also typically met by the building owner. We always provide a clear, fixed-fee quote upfront so there are no surprises.

For a straightforward project involving a single shared wall and a cooperative neighbour, expect to pay in the region of £700 to £1,500 for a full Party Wall Award, including the schedule of condition. Using an Agreed Surveyor — a single surveyor acting for both parties — is significantly cheaper than each party appointing separately. Where separate surveyors are appointed, costs typically rise to £1,500 to £3,000 or more depending on the complexity of the works. For more complex projects such as basement excavations or works affecting multiple neighbours, costs will be higher. We provide fixed-fee, transparent quotes at the outset so you can budget accurately from day one.

A Schedule of Condition is a detailed photographic and written record of the existing state of your neighbour’s property, prepared before your works begin. It documents things like the condition of walls, ceilings, floors, and any pre-existing cracks or defects. It is typically prepared as part of the Party Wall Award. Its purpose is twofold — it gives your neighbour documented protection if damage does occur, and it protects you from being held responsible for defects that were already there before you started. Without one, any claim your neighbour makes about damage becomes much harder to dispute. We strongly recommend a Schedule of Condition for any project covered by the Act, and it is included as standard in our Party Wall Award service.

The Act places the responsibility for making good any damage caused by your building works firmly on you as the building owner. If damage occurs, you are legally obliged to repair it. The Schedule of Condition is the reference point for determining what has been caused by the works versus what pre-existed. Where there is a dispute about whether damage was caused by the works or the extent of repair required, the appointed surveyor or surveyors can be asked to make a determination. If either party is unsatisfied with that determination, they have 14 days to appeal to the county court. Acting quickly, communicating openly, and having a thorough Schedule of Condition in place from the start is the best protection against a damage dispute escalating.

They are entirely separate requirements. Planning permission is granted by your local planning authority and governs whether your proposed development is acceptable in terms of its size, appearance, and impact on the surrounding area. The Party Wall Act governs the relationship between you and your immediate neighbours in terms of how works affecting shared structures are managed. You may need both — and in some cases building regulations approval as well. Satisfying one does not remove the obligation to comply with the others. A party wall notice cannot be served before you have your plans in a reasonable state of detail, so it is best to work on all three in parallel once your design is finalised.

Yes — there is no legal requirement to use a surveyor to draft or serve a party wall notice. Template notices are freely available from government guidance published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. However, a notice that is incorrectly drafted, contains insufficient detail, or is served in the wrong manner can be challenged and declared invalid — causing significant delay to your project. For straightforward situations where you have a good relationship with your neighbour and simple works, doing it yourself is a reasonable option. For anything more complex, or where relations with your neighbour are already strained, having a professional handle the process from the outset is almost always the more cost-effective choice in the long run.

Ready to Get Your Project Moving?

Contact our friendly team today for a free initial consultation and honest, jargon-free advice about your party wall obligations.
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