What is the role of the party wall surveyor?
A Party Wall Surveyor ensures compliance with the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 during construction affecting shared walls or boundaries. They serve notices, resolve disputes, prepare legal agreements, and protect both parties’ rights by acting impartially, ensuring the work causes minimal disruption and follows legal guidelines.
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Party Wall Surveyor: Safeguarding Your Rights and Resolving Disputes During Construction
A Party Wall Surveyor ensures compliance with the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 during construction affecting shared walls or boundaries, acting impartially to resolve disputes. Their duties include serving notices, drafting a Party Wall Award, and conducting pre-construction condition surveys.
They mediate disputes, protect both parties’ rights, and oversee the process to prevent or resolve conflicts. If necessary, multiple surveyors may be appointed, or a third surveyor brought in to ensure fairness.
Post-construction, they verify the work and any repairs. Their role helps avoid legal issues and ensures smooth project execution.
In addition to managing disputes and ensuring legal compliance, a Party Wall Surveyor plays a key role in fostering good neighbour relations during potentially disruptive construction projects.
By maintaining clear communication and acting as a neutral mediator, they help prevent misunderstandings and defuse tensions before they escalate.
Their involvement can provide both parties with peace of mind, knowing that the process is being handled professionally and fairly, while also ensuring that any damage or inconvenience is minimised and properly addressed. This proactive approach helps maintain harmony between neighbours, even during complex or contentious projects.
You are undertaking building works
- Check whether the Party Wall etc Act 1996 applies to your project
- Talk to your neighbours early, before serving Notice about your work. Keeping your Adjoining Owners (neighbours) informed
- Make sure your Notice is served properly, or else it will be invalid
- Serve Notice with plenty of time
- Don’t be tempted to start work until you have an agreement / Party Wall Award in place.
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- Most Adjoining Owners worry that their property will be damaged by the building works.
- Our role is to try and ensure that this does not happen by looking in detail at the proposals and designs and arranging proper working methods.
- Adjoining Owners are entitled to have their surveyor’s reasonable fees paid by the Building Owner.
- The fees must be both reasonable and justifiable.
Benefits of Hiring a Party Wall Surveyor
Engaging with a Party Wall Surveyor allows you to:
- Prevent delays getting agreements in place
- Receive expert advice
- Prevent legal disputes
- Record the condition of neighbours’ property prior to the works – preventing claims for damage
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