The basics
- Party wall disputes: how they are settledWhat "dispute" means under the Act, and the route to settling one.
- How long does a party wall agreement last?No expiry date, but tied to its notice and to specific work.
- Can I act as my own party wall surveyor?No, and who can be appointed instead.
- Does a party wall surveyor need qualifications?None are required by law, so here is what to look for.
- What does a party wall surveyor actually do?Their work, step by step, from paperwork to final inspection.
For building owners
- What's in a party wall agreement?The sections you will find in a typical party wall agreement, from the schedule of condition and drawings to working hours, access and costs.
- Agreed surveyor or two surveyors: which is better?The pros and cons of one agreed party wall surveyor versus each owner appointing their own, including cost, speed and impartiality.
- Party wall surveyor fees: what is reasonable?How party wall surveyors charge, what affects the fee, what counts as reasonable for the neighbour's surveyor and how fee disputes are settled.
- The schedule of condition and why it protects you tooWhat a party wall schedule of condition records, how it is carried out and why it protects building owners as well as neighbours.
- When can work start once the agreement is signed?When work can start after a party wall award is served, how the notice period and the 14-day appeal window fit together, and what to tell your builder.
- Security for expenses: when a neighbour asks for money up frontWhat security for expenses means under the Party Wall Act, when a neighbour can ask for it, how much it might be and how it is held.
- Changing your plans after the agreementWhat to do if your design changes after a party wall award has been served, from small amendments to new notices and addendum awards.
- Special foundations and the neighbour's consentReinforced footings under next door's land need written consent.
- Insurance for party wall work: what to checkThe cover your builder should hold, and the gaps to watch for.
- When a surveyor doesn't respond: the 10-day ruleTen-day requests, ex parte awards and replacements.
- The final inspection after the worksComparing the neighbour's home with the record taken before work.
For neighbours
- Choosing your own party wall surveyorWhat to look for when choosing a party wall surveyor to act for you as a neighbour: experience, memberships, fees and how they communicate.
- Reading your party wall agreement: what each part meansA neighbour's guide to reading a party wall award: the parts to check, what they mean for your home and what to do if something looks wrong.
- My home has been damaged: making a claimWhat to do if your neighbour's building work damages your home: reporting it, the role of the schedule of condition and how repairs or payment are settled.
- Cash payment or repair: how damage is settledHow party wall damage is settled, when you can ask for a payment instead of repairs by the neighbour's builder, and how the amount is worked out.
- I disagree with the agreement: appealing within 14 daysHow either owner can appeal a party wall award to the county court, the 14-day deadline, the grounds and the costs risk.
- The third surveyor: what they do and whenThe role of the third surveyor under the Party Wall Act: how they are chosen, when they are called in and what they can decide.
- My neighbour won't pay the surveyor feesWhat happens when a building owner refuses to pay the adjoining owner's party wall surveyor, and how unpaid sums under an award are recovered.
- Should I accept my neighbour's surveyor as agreed surveyor?When sharing works, when it doesn't, and what to ask first.
- Can I change my party wall surveyor?Appointments are fixed. What you can do instead.
- Cracks after your neighbour's building workWhich cracks matter, and how to report them.
- Will my home insurance cover party wall damage?Why the building owner pays first, and when your insurer steps in.