What is a party wall agreement?

Other things covered by your agreement…

• Working hours. Residential work must only take place on weekdays, 8am to 5:30pm.
• Property access for your surveyors.
• A timeline for completion and a time limit.
• Adjoining owner’s surveyor’s fee - yes, you have to cover their costs if you are the person completing the project.
• Protection against loss for the adjoining owner, provided by the one building.
• Proof the contractor is covered by public liability insurance.

Once the agreement has been witnessed and signed, both parties will have a 14 day period to appeal if either someone believes the agreement was improperly created.

Do I need a party wall surveyor?

If you've failed to recieve consent after serving a party wall notice, then you'll need to employee at least one party wall surveyor to manage the subsequent agreement.

After the end of your served notice, you must send a letter stating your neighbour should appoint a party wall surveyor within 10 days. During this period, both parties can agree to use the same surveyor. However, if this doesn’t happen within the suggested 10 day period (either because the other party refuses or they don’t respond), you’ll have to commission two party wall surveyors. Your neighbour will either pick their own or you’ll do it on their behalf if they don’t respond in time. You’ll also have to ensure they use a different surveying company than the one you’re assigning yourself.

Do I need a party wall agreement for an extension or loft conversion?

If you’re living in a semi-detached or terraced house you’ll share a wall with your neighbour - the party wall. Any extension or loft conversion that affects this wall will require a party wall notice to be served, and could therefore require a party wall agreement. You will also have to serve notice if you are proposing to excavate within 3 metres of a neighbouring building or completing structural works to the party wall, for example, removing a chimney.

A party wall could also include garden walls that have been built along a boundary - this is called the party fence wall.

If you’re unsure about the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, it would be worth getting an architect on board who will be able to advise on whether or not any shared boundaries will be affected. Luckily, at Resi, we provide free consultations for homeowners nationwide. If you'd like some tailored advice for your home, simply book a call with our team here.