Party wall surveyors
in London.
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 grew out of the London Building Acts, and it shows. Street after street of Victorian and Edwardian terraces share single-skin brick walls, so a neighbour's loft conversion, side-return extension or basement dig engages the Act almost every time, and affects you directly.
Had a notice from a neighbour in London? You have 14 days to respond, and appointing your own surveyor normally costs you nothing, the building owner pays.
Covering London, Islington, Camden, Hackney and the surrounding area, from London.
What party wall work looks like in London.
The works we see most in London are side-return and rear extensions cutting into the party wall, loft conversions with steels bearing on it, and basement excavation, which is the highest-risk work the Act covers and the most common in the inner boroughs. Add flats, where one scheme can have several adjoining owners on different floors, and leasehold, where the leaseholder and the freeholder may each be an adjoining owner in their own right, and the notice position is very often wrong. If you have had a notice anywhere inside the M25, you are entitled to your own surveyor, and the building owner normally pays.
We cover London from London, along with Islington, Camden, Hackney, Wandsworth, Richmond, Bromley and the wider Greater London area. Every matter is handled by a named surveyor who is a member of the FPWS or RICS, or both.
If a neighbour has served you notice
This is most of what we do. As adjoining owner you are entitled to appoint your own surveyor, and under section 11 the building owner normally pays the reasonable fees.
- A schedule of condition of your property, before work starts
- The structural design read with your building in mind
- A binding Award controlling scope, hours and access
- A duty on your neighbour to make good any damage
- A named surveyor you can telephone
Planning works in London?
Extending or excavating in London? We identify every adjoining owner, freeholders and leaseholders included, serve the notices correctly and agree the Award, with a written estimate before we start.
We identify which sections apply, check who the adjoining owners actually are at HM Land Registry, draft and serve the notices correctly, and manage the neighbour relationship so you do not have to. You get a written estimate before we start. Not a fixed fee guessed from a form before anyone has read your drawings.
Section 6 catches more schemes than people expect
Party wall questions in London
Do I have to pay for a party wall surveyor in London?
If you are the adjoining owner, the neighbour, then almost certainly not. Section 11 of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 puts the cost of the works and the reasonable surveying fees of both owners on the building owner, because the works are for their benefit. If you are the one building, we give you a written estimate before we start rather than a fixed fee quoted from a web form.
How quickly can you get to a property in London?
London is covered from London. We aim to respond to all enquiries within one working day, and where a 14-day deadline is close we will take the dissent first and arrange the inspection immediately afterwards. Inspections are typically within a week of appointment.
What sort of works trigger the Act around London?
The works we see most in London are side-return and rear extensions cutting into the party wall, loft conversions with steels bearing on it, and basement excavation, which is the highest-risk work the Act covers and the most common in the inner boroughs. Add flats, where one scheme can have several adjoining owners on different floors, and leasehold, where the leaseholder and the freeholder may each be an adjoining owner in their own right, and the notice position is very often wrong. If you have had a notice anywhere inside the M25, you are entitled to your own surveyor, and the building owner normally pays.
I've had a notice from my neighbour in London. What do I do?
You have 14 days to respond, and doing nothing is not neutral. After 14 days a dispute is deemed to have arisen and the building owner may appoint a surveyor on your behalf. Your options are to consent, to dissent and appoint your own surveyor, or to dissent and agree a single surveyor. Send us the notice and we will tell you whether it is even valid, free of charge.
Which areas near London do you cover?
Islington, Camden, Hackney, Wandsworth, Richmond, Bromley and the surrounding area, along with the rest of Greater London, from London. We cover Bristol, Bath, Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire from Bristol; Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Hampshire and Wiltshire from Poole; London inside the M25 from London.
Speak to a party wall surveyor covering London.
Ten minutes will tell you whether the Act applies, what your deadline is, and what it will cost you. Which, if you are the neighbour, is normally nothing at all.
- The building owner normally pays your surveyor's reasonable fees
- A named surveyor on your case from start to finish
- We will tell you honestly if you do not need us
No card details. No obligation. Nothing is final until you sign the appointment. A member of our office team reads every message, and a surveyor replies, usually within one working day.
More on party wall matters
- Adjoining owner rights
What to do when a notice arrives.
- The Act explained
Sections 1, 2 and 6 in plain English.
- Other areas we cover
The South West from Bristol and Poole, and London inside the M25.