Party wall surveyor · London & home counties
Party wall surveyor London, from £695, published
Notices, surveyors and the award under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, priced up front: the full service, or just the notices drafted for you to serve.
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A party wall surveyor service from Fixed Fee Plans is from £695 + VAT, or £49 + VAT for notices only. The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 requires notice two months before work to a shared wall, and one month for a new boundary wall or deep excavation.
Key points
- from £695 or £49, plus VAT. No form first.
- Three triggers. A new boundary wall, work to a shared wall, or digging beside foundations.
- Silence is a dispute. For work to a shared wall, no reply in 14 days means surveyors.
- Scope in writing. The exact package is confirmed before you pay.
When do you need a party wall surveyor in London?
You need a party wall surveyor in London only when the work falls under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 and your neighbour does not consent in writing. Three kinds of work require notice: a new wall on the line of junction, work to an existing party wall, and excavation near a neighbour's foundations.
| Trigger | Section | Typical job | Notice before work |
|---|---|---|---|
| New wall on the line of junction | s1 | A boundary wall, or one built astride it | One month |
| Work to an existing party wall | s2 | Cutting in a steel beam, underpinning, raising the wall | Two months |
| Excavation near foundations | s6 | Footings deeper than a neighbour's, within 3m or 6m | One month |
Section 6 applies within 3m of a neighbouring structure when you dig deeper than its foundations, and within 6m when the work meets a 45-degree line drawn down from them (Act, s6). The booklet's example of a section 2 right is cutting in a beam for a loft conversion (explanatory booklet). Footings for a house extension can fall under section 6. Plastering and rewiring do not need notice (GOV.UK).
How much notice does a party wall in London need?
A party structure notice under section 3 must be served at least two months before the work starts, and a section 1 or section 6 notice at least one month before. Notice lapses if work has not begun within twelve months (Act, s3(2)(b)).
- Two months for work to an existing party wall (Act, s3(2)(a)).
- One month for a new wall on the line of junction (Act, s1(2)).
- One month before excavating (Act, s6(5)).
The notice must say what you plan to do (GOV.UK). Section 6 notices also need plans and sections (Act, s6(6)), which a measured survey can supply.
What happens in the 14 days after a party wall notice?
A neighbour who does not consent within fourteen days of a party structure notice is deemed to have dissented, and a dispute is deemed to have arisen (Act, s5). They can consent in writing, refuse, or serve a counter notice within a month (GOV.UK).
Silence is not agreement (GOV.UK). The exception is a new wall astride the boundary: if the neighbour stays silent for 14 days, you must build it wholly on your own land (explanatory booklet).
Agreed surveyor or two: how are party wall surveyors in London appointed?
Once a dispute exists, both owners can jointly appoint one agreed surveyor, or each can appoint their own and the two choose a third (Act, s10(1)). Neither owner can act as their own surveyor. A neighbour who will not appoint can have one appointed on their behalf.
| Agreed surveyor | Two surveyors | |
|---|---|---|
| Who appoints | Both owners jointly | One each, then a third selected |
| Fees | One surveyor to pay | Two, plus the third if called in |
| If it goes wrong | No third surveyor to call on | The third surveyor decides |
What is a party wall award and a schedule of condition?
The party wall award is the legal document the surveyors make, setting out what work happens, how and when, and who pays what, including surveyors' fees (GOV.UK). A schedule of condition is a written, photographed record of the neighbour's property before work starts.
A schedule is not required by the Act, but the booklet calls it most prudent, because without it damage is hard to attribute (explanatory booklet). You can appeal an award at the county court within 14 days (GOV.UK).
Who pays the party wall surveyor in London?
Usually the building owner pays, including the adjoining owner's surveyor, where the works are solely for the building owner's benefit (explanatory booklet). The surveyors decide who pays the costs of the award (Act, s10(13)), and the Act puts the expenses of the work on the building owner (Act, s11(1)).
A neighbour may share the cost where the work is needed because of a defect, or where they ask for extra work that benefits them. The booklet adds that surveyors' fees have no set charges.
Party wall notices only at £49, or the full service?
Notices only is £49 + VAT for correctly drafted notices that you serve yourself. The full party wall surveyor service in London is from £695 + VAT and is for work that goes beyond the notice. Your neighbour's response decides which.
| Notices only | Full service | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | £49 + VAT, fixed | from £695 + VAT |
| Scope | Drafted notices for you to serve | Confirmed in writing |
| Fits when | The neighbour is likely to consent | A dispute, award or schedule is likely |
The exact scope of the full package is confirmed in writing before you pay.
How much does a party wall surveyor cost in London?
A party wall surveyor in London costs from £695 + VAT at Fixed Fee Plans, with notices only at £49 + VAT. No council fee applies, because a party wall notice is not a planning application, and the neighbour's surveyor is a matter for the award.
Every price sits on the prices page. A party wall agreement replaces neither planning drawings nor building regulations drawings, and a new beam is sized by structural calculations at from £495.
How much does a party wall surveyor cost in London?
Do I have to use a party wall surveyor?
Can my neighbour stop my building work under the Party Wall Act?
Who pays the neighbour’s surveyor?
Does a loft conversion need a party wall notice?
Is a party wall agreement the same as planning permission?
Start with £150
Your fixed fee is already on this page.
Tell us the postcode and what you want to build. We confirm the fee in writing and book the survey.