Updated: Feb 9
Can’t agree with your neighbour over work on your shared property boundary? You need a Party Wall Surveyor to reach an agreement. Keep reading below to find out more!
If you live in a semi-detached house, flat, or terraced property, you likely share a wall with a neighbouring building. If that’s the case, you’ll need an agreement regarding the Party Wall before you go on with your building project.
The Party Wall Act explained
The Party Wall Act is a piece of legislation that is functioning in England and Wales. The act is designed to pre-empt construction-related disagreements that can arise between neighbours, offering a clear legal framework for managing such conflicts if they arise. The Part Wall Act also helps prevent building work performed by one of the neighbours if that can affect in any way the structural integrity of the shared walls or neighbouring properties.
The Party Wall Act includes several types of building work, such as:
Converting a loft
Underpinning
Increasing the thickness
Extending above a storey
Building a new wall for an extension
Excavation work
However, the act doesn’t include more basic work such as:
Fitting shelves on a party wall
Replastering or wallpapering
Electrical rewiring
Are your building work projects affected by the Party Wall Act?
If, as mentioned above, you live in a semi-detached house, terraced property, flat, or your detached home is located within close proximity to neighbouring properties, the Party Wall Act might affect your building projects.
If you plan to start work on walls and other built elements, such as party wall, floor and ceilings between your flat and your neighbour’s, shared boundary walls, walls that touch the boundary, you’ll need to give “Notice” of the plan of your work to your neighbour.
After you send the notice, your neighbour has 14 days to either accept or reject your building work plan. In the case of a rejection, you’ll need to choose a Party Wall surveyor.
When you choose Rellim Surveyors to act on your behalf, you can rest assured that you will have experienced, trained and accredited Surveyors on your side, for free unbiased technical advice email us: hello@rellimsurveyors.co.uk