Somerset · from Bristol

Party wall surveyors
in Taunton.

Taunton's older core mixes Georgian and Victorian terraces with a good deal of cob and stone in the surrounding villages. Outside the town centre, many properties are detached. But detached does not mean the Act cannot apply.

Had a notice from a neighbour in Taunton? You have 14 days to respond, and appointing your own surveyor normally costs you nothing, the building owner pays.

Covering Taunton, Bishops Hull, Staplegrove, Trull and the surrounding area, from Bristol.

Local context

What party wall work looks like in Taunton.

Section 6 is the provision that catches people out around Taunton. You do not need a shared wall for the Act to engage: if your neighbour excavates within three metres of your building and goes deeper than your foundations, they must serve notice on you regardless of how far apart the houses are. New garages, garden rooms, extensions with deep foundations and swimming pools all routinely trigger it, and it is routinely missed.

We cover Taunton from Bristol, along with Bishops Hull, Staplegrove, Trull, Comeytrowe, Wilton, Priorswood and the wider Somerset 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
Your rights in full
If you are the one building

Planning works in Taunton?

Digging foundations near a boundary in Taunton? Section 6 applies to detached properties too. We check the distances and depths for you.

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

You do not need a shared wall. If your foundations go within 3 metres of a neighbouring building and deeper than theirs, which modern trench-fill foundations next to older footings very often do, a notice is required, even for a detached property.

Party wall questions in Taunton

Do I have to pay for a party wall surveyor in Taunton?

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 Taunton?

Taunton is covered from Bristol. 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 Taunton?

Section 6 is the provision that catches people out around Taunton. You do not need a shared wall for the Act to engage: if your neighbour excavates within three metres of your building and goes deeper than your foundations, they must serve notice on you regardless of how far apart the houses are. New garages, garden rooms, extensions with deep foundations and swimming pools all routinely trigger it, and it is routinely missed.

I've had a notice from my neighbour in Taunton. 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 Taunton do you cover?

Bishops Hull, Staplegrove, Trull, Comeytrowe, Wilton, Priorswood and the surrounding area, along with the rest of Somerset, from Bristol. 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 Taunton.

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
Appoint us as your surveyorTalk to us first, freeor call 01174420259

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.

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