Party Wall Agreement & Party Wall Notices, sorted for a fixed fee
Extending, converting a loft or digging foundations? We serve the correct party wall notices on all your neighbours and get you a party wall agreement, either their consent or a Party Wall Award, with a Schedule of Condition to protect everyone. Every fee is fixed and invoiced on completion.
- Party wall notices for all neighbours: £150 + VAT
- Professionally qualified: RICS · FPWS · CABE
- Covers London, Essex, Kent, Herts, Surrey, Sussex & the Midlands
Received a notice from a neighbour? See your options →
? Do I need a notice? Take the 1-minute check →
What is a party wall agreement?
In everyday use, a party wall agreement means one of two things: your neighbour’s written consent to your party wall notice, or, if they dissent, a Party Wall Award made by surveyors under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Either one lets the work go ahead lawfully and protects both owners.
How much does a party wall agreement cost?
From £150 + VAT if your neighbour consents, £499 + VAT with a Schedule of Condition, or £899 + VAT for a full award (£999 in London). Fixed fees, invoiced on completion. See all fees →
Works that commonly need one:
From notice to agreement in four steps
The Building Owner (the person doing the works) has to serve notice and get consent from each Adjoining Owner before work starts.
Talk to your neighbour
We always advise speaking to the Adjoining Owner before notices are served, so they know what to expect.
We serve the notices
We prepare and serve the correct notices after Land Registry checks, with a consent form and a stamped envelope.
Neighbour consents, or a Schedule
If they consent, you can proceed. We always recommend a Schedule of Condition to record their property before work starts.
Award if there’s a dispute
If they don’t consent within 14 days, a dispute is deemed to have arisen and surveyors settle it with a Party Wall Award.
Which notices do common projects need?
Typical only. The 1-minute checker or a free call will confirm what applies.
Party wall timescales at a glance
The key dates under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, from serving notice to starting work.
0
Notices served
Served on every adjoining owner, at least 1 or 2 months before work depending on the section.
days
Consent or dissent
Your neighbour has 14 days to consent. For Section 3 and 6 notices, no reply means a deemed dispute.
days
Request to appoint
A further notice under s10(4) gives them 10 days to appoint a surveyor, or one can be appointed on their behalf.
Schedule of Condition
The neighbour’s property is inspected and photographed to record its condition.
Party Wall Award
Surveyors serve the Award. Either owner may appeal to the county court within 14 days.
Work starts
Once the notice period has run and consent or an Award is in place.
Source: Party Wall etc. Act 1996, ss.1, 3, 5, 6 and 10 (legislation.gov.uk). General guidance only; we’ll confirm what applies to your project.
Digging near a neighbour? How Section 6 works
The two tests for excavation notices under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, in pictures.
Everyone starts with notices
The rest of the process depends on how your neighbour responds, so you only pay for what’s actually needed. No hourly billing, no travel charges and nothing to pay up front: every fee is fixed and invoiced on completion.
Party Wall Notices: £150 + VAT (£180 inc VAT)
One fee covers ALL your neighbours, including Land Registry checks, bespoke notices, explanatory notes, a consent form, a stamped reply envelope and follow-up ‘Ten Day Notices’ if needed.
What happens next depends on your neighbour’s response
Neighbour consents
- Your neighbour signs the consent form
- The consent is your Party Wall Agreement
- You can proceed with the works
- We still recommend a Schedule of Condition to protect you
Consents, subject to a Schedule of Condition
- Notices for all neighbours + Land Registry checks
- Site inspection of your neighbour’s property
- Detailed photographic Schedule of Condition
- Protects you against claims for damage that was already there
- Each additional Schedule: £399 + VAT (£478.80 inc)
Neighbour dissents: an Award is needed
- Notices for all neighbours + Land Registry checks
- 1 Schedule of Condition
- 1 Party Wall Award
- Sets working hours, access & damage provisions
Agreed Surveyor — we act for both owners
£50 + VAT Currently waived
| Total with Agreed Surveyor | + VAT | inc VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Full package | £899 | £1,078.80 |
| London | £999 | £1,198.80 |
No extra cost while the waiver runs.
70% of our projects use one surveyor acting for both.
DIY notices at partywall-notices.co.uk
Our sister service, also run by Konstruction (UK) Ltd, helps you prepare and serve your own party wall notices correctly, with templates for Section 1, 3 and 6.
Schedule of Condition only: £450 + VAT (£540 inc)
We’ll record your neighbour’s property before work starts. If an Award is needed later, it can be added for £400 + VAT (£480 inc) per dissenting neighbour.
Not sure how the Act applies to your project? Call free on 08000 487897 for an initial chat of up to 30 minutes.
Planning an extension, loft or new foundations?
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 covers alterations to a shared party wall, new walls on the boundary and excavation close to neighbouring properties, whether for foundations or for cable and pipe laying. Excavation is the one owners planning an extension most often overlook.
Get my party wall notices servedReceived a Party Wall Notice?
You have the right to appoint your own surveyor. Dissenting doesn’t mean objecting to the project. It means asking for a Party Wall Agreement to protect your property, privacy, safety and security. The building owner normally covers the cost of your surveyor.
Help for neighbours Free callBeen served a party wall notice? Here’s how to get a party wall agreement with your neighbour
A party wall agreement protects you: your home is recorded before work starts, and the works have to follow agreed rules on method, hours, access and damage. It’s simple if you talk to us, it usually costs you nothing, and it helps everyone, including the neighbour doing the work.
Consent
Sign the consent form. It’s quick and simple, but there’s no Schedule of Condition, so there’s no record of how your property was before the works.
Quick and simpleConsent subject to a Schedule of Condition
For relatively simple, straightforward works, consenting still keeps the full protection of the Party Wall Act. Your neighbour can get on with the works, and you’re still protected if anything is needed or a dispute or problem comes up later. A Schedule of Condition is highly advisable in all circumstances because it gives clarity for everyone. Around 55% of projects end this way.
Clarity for everyoneDissent and appoint the Agreed Surveyor
When extra matters need covering, such as working hours, access or further agreements. A cooperative, friendly route that goes a step further: one impartial surveyor acts for you both and produces a full Party Wall Award (s10(1)(a)). The building owner normally pays.
Full Award · CollaborativeDissent and appoint your own surveyor
Often better where projects are complex or relations are strained. Two surveyors, one for each owner, agree the Award. Your surveyor can be us, and their reasonable fees are normally paid by the building owner (s10(13)).
Best for complex or contentious worksThe award records your property’s condition and sets out how the work is done, plus who puts right any damage (s7(2)).
Send us the notice and we’ll explain your options in plain English, reply to the building owner for you and handle the paperwork.
Clear rules up front prevent disputes later and keep the project, and your relationship with your neighbour, on track.
What happens if I don’t respond within 14 days?
- A dispute is deemed to have arisen (s5 for Section 3 notices, s6(7) for excavation; for Section 1, s1(4)).
- The building owner can then serve a notice giving you 10 days to appoint a surveyor (s10(4)).
- If you still don’t act, a surveyor is appointed on your behalf, someone you didn’t choose.
Silence doesn’t stop the work. It just means you lose the chance to choose. Call free on 08000 487897.
Party Wall Surveyors across London, the South East & the Midlands
Each area has its own landing page with local information and the same fixed fees.
Qualified, experienced surveyors across the South East & Midlands
John Greenan
Party Wall & Residential Property Surveyor · South East
John Greenan AssocRICS MFPWS ACABE is an experienced party wall and residential property surveyor covering the South East. He has more than 25 years’ experience in surveying and construction, and has completed several thousand residential and party wall jobs combined. John acts for building owners and neighbours alike, from serving party wall notices and carrying out schedules of condition through to agreeing Party Wall Awards.
Carl Brady
Party Wall Surveyor · Midlands, Hertfordshire, North, West & Central London
Carl Brady MFPWS MPTS is a very experienced party wall surveyor covering the West Midlands, the East Midlands, Hertfordshire, and North, West and Central London. He has more than 25 years’ experience, and works with building owners and neighbours on all kinds of party wall matters under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
James Metcalf
Party Wall & Residential Property Surveyor · Kent
James Metcalf AssocRICS MFPWS is a Party Wall & Residential Property Surveyor covering Kent. He has more than 20 years’ experience in surveying and property, and works with building owners and neighbours on all kinds of party wall matters under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
Kevin Redman
Surveyor · Essex & East London
Kevin Redman BSc(Hons), MFPWS is an experienced surveyor covering Essex and East London. He has more than 25 years’ experience in surveying and construction management, and works with building owners and neighbours on all kinds of party wall matters under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
Party wall agreement questions, answered
How do I get a party wall agreement?
Serve a valid party wall notice on every adjoining owner before work starts (one month for section 1 and 6 notices, two months for a section 3 party structure notice). If your neighbour consents in writing, that is your agreement; if they dissent or do not reply within 14 days, surveyors make a Party Wall Award. We serve notices for all your neighbours for £150 + VAT. Step-by-step guide.
How long does a party wall agreement take?
Notice periods are one month for section 1 and 6 notices and two months for section 3, and the neighbour has 14 days to respond. With consent, the agreement can be in place within that time. If there is a dispute, the time to make the Award varies with the works and the surveyors involved. Notice periods and timescales.
Who pays for a party wall agreement?
Normally the building owner, including the reasonable fees of the adjoining owner’s surveyor if the neighbour appoints their own (section 10(13)). Our fixed fees are notices £150, notices and a Schedule of Condition £499, and the full package £899 + VAT (£999 + VAT in London). Who pays, and the exceptions.
What is a party wall agreement?
In everyday use, a party wall agreement is either your neighbour’s written consent to your party wall notice, or, if they don’t consent, a Party Wall Award drawn up by surveyors under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Both let the work go ahead lawfully and protect both owners. The Act itself never uses the word ‘agreement’, which is why the terms get confused.
Do I need a party wall agreement?
You need to serve a party wall notice if you plan work to a shared wall (such as steel beams, a loft conversion or chimney breast removal), build a new wall on the boundary, or dig foundations within 3 or 6 metres of a neighbour’s building. You then need either their consent or an award before you start. Our free 1-minute checker tells you which notices are likely.
How much does a party wall agreement cost?
Our fees are fixed. Notices for all your neighbours cost £150 + VAT. If your neighbour consents subject to a Schedule of Condition, the total is £499 + VAT. If an award is needed, the total is £899 + VAT (£999 + VAT in London) for domestic extensions and loft conversions. Every fee is invoiced on completion.
What is a party wall notice?
A party wall notice is the formal letter the Act requires a building owner to serve on each adjoining owner before starting notifiable work. There are three types: a Section 1 line of junction notice, a Section 3 party structure notice and a Section 6 notice of adjacent excavation. Each has a minimum notice period of one or two months.
Can I use a party wall notice template?
Yes. You can serve notices yourself, but self-served notices are often invalid, and an invalid notice can delay your build. If you want to do it yourself, our sister service partywall-notices.co.uk gives you correctly worded templates. Otherwise we can serve them for all your neighbours for £150 + VAT.
What happens if my neighbour doesn’t respond to the notice?
If there’s no reply within 14 days, a dispute is deemed to have arisen. We then serve a further notice giving them 10 days to appoint a surveyor (s10(4)). If they still don’t, a surveyor can be appointed on their behalf, and the award is made in the usual way.
Who pays for the neighbour’s surveyor?
Normally the building owner carrying out the works pays the reasonable fees of the adjoining owner’s surveyor (s10(13)). That is why it usually costs a neighbour nothing to get a party wall agreement that protects them.
Do I pay online or up front?
No. We don’t take payment online. Each fee is fixed and quoted in advance, and the surveyor who handles your job invoices you on completion.
Does the Party Wall Act apply to your project?
Tell us about your project and a local qualified surveyor from our team will confirm which party wall notices you need and your fixed fee. Nothing to pay until the work is done.