The Party Wall etc Act 1996 has extended the scope of party wall legislation and most homeowners do not appreciate the significance of the legislation.

A Party Structure may be part of a building or it may be a boundary wall between two properties. If you are intending to carry out work on your property which affects a Party Structure (or in some circumstances, is within 6m/20ft of one), you will need to serve a Notice on your neighbour(s). Similarly, if your neighbours are planning such works, they will need to serve you with a Notice. Such Notices usually result in the preparation of a Party Wall Award which sets out the rights and duties and protects the respective interests of each party

Too many homeowners fail to consider Party Wall matters in time and this can delay building work. On average, it takes about 3 months to put a Party Wall Award in place and so it is important to consider it early in your proposals.

Similarly, if your neighbours are proposing to carry out building works which affect a party structure, they will need to serve you with a Notice and they are obliged to pay the reasonable fees of any surveyor you instruct .

We have wide experience of advising property owners on Party Wall matters.