If you are planning to work on walls that you share with a neighbour, or building close to an adjacent boundary, then you will need to ensure that you comply with the Party Wall Act 1996. The Party Wall Act legislation aims to prevent and resolve disputes.

This means ensuring you let your neighbours know that you wish to extend your property and how you plan on carrying out the work. A party wall surveyor may need to resolve any disagreements and set parameters to protect neighbours’ property.

Walls and other built elements include:

– Floors and ceilings between flats
– Shared boundary walls, such as those between semis and terraced homes
– Any other walls which touch the boundary are covered

Type of work:

– Converting a loft which includes cutting into boundary walls to support new beams
– Underpinning
– Inserting a damp proof course
– Increasing the thickness
– Demolishing and rebuilding a party wall
– Extending above a storey which lies on the boundary
– Building a new all for an extension, for example, up to or on the boundary
– Excavation works for new foundations. You’ll need to assure your neighbour of the safeguards in place to protect their foundations.

You will need to give your neighbour a ‘Notice’ regarding when you plan to start any works covered by the Party Wall Act 1996. Remember to include:

– The date work will start
– All parties’ names and addresses
– A description of the proposed work

Give notice 2 months before starting work or at least 1 months notice if excavating near a neighbouring building. Your neighbour will have 14 days to provide written approval or rejection. If approval is granted, your Notice is valid for a year to complete work. No response or if they reject then you’re deemed to be in dispute. If not response is given you’ll need to assign an ‘agreed surveyor’ to prepare a Party Wall Award which goes through a lot of detail about the ins and outs of the works planned and most importantly costs payable to the adjoining owner should damage occur.