Party wall surveyor
If your building work involves a shared wall, digging near a neighbour’s foundations, or building right up to the boundary, the Party Wall Act usually requires you to serve notice on your neighbour, and a surveyor to produce a party wall award before work can start.
This guide covers the rules in England. See Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
0 party wall surveyors listed across the UK
Featured (paid) listings first, then A–Z · How we check listings
When the Act applies
- Work directly to a shared (party) wall, such as cutting in beams or raising the height
- Building a new wall astride or up to the boundary line
- Excavating within 3 metres of a neighbour’s building and lower than their foundations (or 6 metres if deeper)
How the process works
You serve the appropriate notice on affected neighbours, who have 14 days to consent, dissent, or stay silent (which counts as a dissent after 14 days). If they dissent, a surveyor (or one each) produces a party wall award setting out what work can happen and how, including a record of the neighbouring property’s condition beforehand.
In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
This guide describes the rules in England. Building regulations are devolved, so here is how party wall surveyor works in the rest of the UK.
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies across England and Wales in the same way.
Scotland doesn’t use the Party Wall Act; shared wall and boundary work is instead governed by common law and the Title Conditions (Scotland) Act, so advice from a Scottish-qualified surveyor or solicitor is worth getting early.
Northern Ireland doesn’t use the Party Wall Act either; similar issues are handled under common law, so early advice from a local surveyor is recommended.
Common questions
Can I just ask my neighbour and skip the process?
If the work falls under the Act, you still need to follow the notice process, even if your neighbour is happy about it, to protect both of you legally.
Who pays for the surveyor?
The person doing the building work usually pays, including the neighbour’s surveyor if they choose to appoint their own.
What happens if I don’t serve notice?
Your neighbour can seek an injunction to stop the work, and you lose the legal protections the Act gives you if a dispute arises.
How long does it take to get an award?
It varies, but build in several weeks to a couple of months, since notice periods and any dispute process take time before work can start.
New to the jargon? See our glossary of terms, from air permeability to TrustMark.