Home  >  Party Walls  >  The Most Important Party Walls Article You’ll Read

The Most Important Party Walls Article You’ll Read

Sunday, 1st February 2015
Party Walls | Surveying

I would estimate that at least 80% of misunderstandings relating to the The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 could be cleared up if people understood the purpose and process as outlined in these 6 steps:

  1. The building owner (the party undertaking the work) notifies affected adjoining owners of any work falling within the scope of the Act.
  2. Upon receiving the notice(s) the adjoining owner either consents or dissents; the former completes the process while the later puts the owners in ‘dispute’ under the Act.
  3. Owners in ‘dispute’ each appoint a party wall surveyor or both appoint the same party wall surveyor.
  4. Independently of the owners the appointed surveyor(s) produce an agreement known as a party wall award which resolves the dispute.
  5. Assuming the notice period(s) have expired or been waived the building owner is free to commence work once both owners are in receipt of their awards.
  6. The surveyors become involved again if any further disputes arise during or following the works such as over the cause or repair costs of damage caused by the notified works.

Focus on those 6 steps and you’ll have a better understanding of the Act than most.

If you have a party wall issue that you’d like to discuss you are welcome to contact us on 020 7183 2578 or via email.

Back to latest blog posts
Aarti Daryanani
I worked with Steve Hobbs at Peter Barry Surveyors. I required a retrospective red book valuation for a 3bed house. From the first conversation, I knew Steve was the right surveyor for me. I spoke to quite a few but I instinctively recognised Steve's technical acumen. I am very pleased with the outcome. I would recommend Peter Barry surveyors wholeheartedly. They are technically sound, professional and helpful.
Dan Stanciu
Professional and timely service!
Ksenia Chernysh
Very thorough Level 3 review, pictures for every details and even drone pictures for the roof tiles.
Easy to comprehend and actionable.
PB were very accommodating even around holiday season!
Would definitely recommend.
Thank you!
Vimmy Raina
Very helpful throughout the process and produced a highly detailed report with a lot of extra helpful information especially for a first time buyer like myself. Would definitely recommend!
Agnese Giolo
Response from the owner:Thank you!
Greg Watson
We appointed Peter Barry to commission a Specific Defect Report which they did quickly and efficiently. They were a pleasure to work with, both over email and in person on the day of the job itself.
Call Now Button