Party wall surveyors
in Plymouth.
Plymouth's terraces in Stoke, Mutley and Peverell sit on limestone and slate, often stepped down steeply sloping streets. Where houses step down a hill, one property's foundations frequently sit above its neighbour's. Which makes excavation next door a genuine structural question, not a formality.
Had a notice from a neighbour in Plymouth? You have 14 days to respond, and appointing your own surveyor normally costs you nothing, the building owner pays.
Covering Plymouth, Stoke, Mutley, Peverell and the surrounding area, from Poole.
What party wall work looks like in Plymouth.
The city's post-war rebuilding also left a lot of properties where the original construction records are gone, so what is actually inside the party wall is not always obvious. Where your neighbour proposes to excavate, underpin or cut in structural steel, the Act gives you the right to a surveyor who will look before agreeing. On stepped sites we pay particular attention to the Section 6 three and six metre notices, because they are the ones most often missed.
We cover Plymouth from Poole, along with Stoke, Mutley, Peverell, Mannamead, Plymstock, Devonport and the wider Devon 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 Plymouth?
Building in Plymouth? Stepped sites and sloping ground mean Section 6 usually bites. We confirm what you need to serve, in writing, before you 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 Plymouth
Do I have to pay for a party wall surveyor in Plymouth?
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 Plymouth?
Plymouth is covered from Poole. 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 Plymouth?
The city's post-war rebuilding also left a lot of properties where the original construction records are gone, so what is actually inside the party wall is not always obvious. Where your neighbour proposes to excavate, underpin or cut in structural steel, the Act gives you the right to a surveyor who will look before agreeing. On stepped sites we pay particular attention to the Section 6 three and six metre notices, because they are the ones most often missed.
I've had a notice from my neighbour in Plymouth. 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 Plymouth do you cover?
Stoke, Mutley, Peverell, Mannamead, Plymstock, Devonport and the surrounding area, along with the rest of Devon, from Poole. 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 Plymouth.
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.