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The simple answer is, not always! Our expert Party Wall surveyors assess your drawings and decide what is required under the Party Wall Act by following these steps:
We examine the proposed work (e.g., rear and/or side extension, loft conversion, excavation, basement or internal alteration) to determine if it affects shared or party walls, boundary lines, or structures that fall under the Party Wall Act. By identifying the types of work, our surveyors can ensure accurate and valid party wall notices are served if required.
We evaluate how the proposed work will impact the adjoining property, asking questions such as:
Our experienced surveyors can anticipate any possible objections from the adjoining property owner. Knowing this can help manage expectations and lead to a smoother overall process to achieving a resolution.
The general principle in the Act is that the building owner who initiated the work pays for it. The Act says that the “reasonable costs” shall be paid as determined by the surveyor or surveyors (usually the surveyor’s fees). Of course, what seems reasonable to one person-the adjoining owner-may not seem reasonable to the person who is usually paying-the person doing the work, but Party Walls Limited have extensive experience of current fee levels and can provide a good idea of what would be considered ‘reasonable’. Please contact us for information if you have a building project with work that falls within the Act. If your neighbour appoints their own surveyor, that surveyor will normally charge on an hourly basis, but again, the costs must be ‘reasonable’.
Only in specific circumstances relating to excavation is it strictly necessary to have drawings accompanying a party wall notice, but clear details of what you are proposing will help your neighbours to understand your proposals. We find that, many planning applications for domestic projects are accompanied by the sketchiest drawings-sufficient for planning but not for party wall purposes. Nobody wants to spend money on designers preparing detailed drawings if planning consent is not to be granted and is sometimes better to wait until detailed design drawings are prepared before serving notice. Planning drawings rarely show how the project will affect neighbouring properties and are often ambiguous or inconsistent in this respect. We can advise on what drawings should accompany a party wall notice. We find that poor drawings or an inability to get information from your designer is one of the key factors affecting party wall surveyor costs-so choose your designer wisely!
Yes, but..
There are free templates on internet and on the government website, but we find that many ‘DIY’ notices are incorrectly drafted, do not properly describe the works or do not contain the correct information. This can lead to problems later and can send costs soaring if you serve a badly worded notice and your neighbour appoints a surveyor who spends time at your expense sorting things out. Also, with a well drafted notice, your neighbours may be more willing to share an ‘agreed surveyor’ which will keep your cost down.
Yes. A surveyor’s appointment is a statutory appointment under the Act. Surveyors are appointed to administer the provisions of the Act, and the owners are ‘appointing owners’ under the Act and not the surveyors’ clients. Surveyors must administer the Act in and impartial way.
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