When an agreed surveyor usually works well
- The work is routine: a loft conversion, a single-storey extension, a chimney breast removal
- Your home is in reasonable condition
- You are comfortable with the surveyor after speaking to them
When to think about your own
- Basements, underpinning or deep foundations near your home
- An older or fragile property, or existing movement
- A developer as the building owner
- A strained relationship with your neighbour
Questions to ask the proposed surveyor
- How will you make sure my interests are considered?
- Will you inspect my home and give me a copy of the schedule of condition?
- How do I raise concerns during the work?
- Who pays your fee? (It should normally be the building owner.)
Once you agree, it is settled
An appointment cannot be rescinded, so decide before you agree. If an agreed surveyor later cannot act, the process starts again from the beginning.
Common questions
Is it rude to insist on my own surveyor?
Not at all. It is a right the Act gives you, and surveyors expect it.
Where this comes from in the Act
Links go to the official text of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 on legislation.gov.uk.