Party wall notices for your neighbours, £39 per adjoining owner
Build on the boundary, cut into a shared wall or dig near next door’s foundations, and the Party Wall etc. Act says your neighbour must be told, in writing, and on time. We prepare the right notice for each owner: £39.
- £39 per adjoining owner, fixed
- Right notice, right dates
- Free redraws until approval
What do party wall notices cost?
Our fee is £39 for each adjoining owner, with no VAT to add. We work out which notice your project needs, fill it in, attach the drawings and give you a dated record of service. A terraced house with neighbours either side is two owners, £78. Surveyors’ fees, if a neighbour dissents, are separate.
This report is written up in full on our sister site drawingsdirect.co.uk. Our fixed fee below still applies if you order through us. Read it on drawingsdirect.co.uk.
What each £39 notice covers
- A check of which sections of the Act your project triggers: a line of junction, a party structure or excavation
- The notice itself, in the form the Act requires, with the building owner’s details and the date work begins
- Plans and sections of the proposed work, drawn to attach, including foundation details where they matter
- A calendar of the notice periods, so you know the earliest date work can start
- A record of when and how each notice was served, to keep
Do I need to give my neighbour a notice?
If your work does one of three things, yes. Building a new wall at or on the boundary, working on an existing party wall or structure, or digging near and below a neighbour’s foundations (gov.uk). The most common London triggers are a rear or side extension built to the boundary, a loft with steel bearing on the party wall, and a basement.
Planning permission does not replace a notice, and a notice does not replace planning permission. They are separate, with separate rules. The Act is also separate from building regulations.
Which notice, and how much warning?
It depends on the work. A line of junction notice for building on the boundary needs a month’s warning (section 1). A party structure notice for work to a shared wall needs two months (section 3). Notice for excavation under section 6 needs a month (section 6).
One notice per adjoining owner, so a freehold neighbour and their long-leaseholders each count. We check the title where we can, and tell you who to notify.
- Boundary wall: one month
- Shared wall work: two months
- Digging near foundations: one month
- Each adjoining owner gets a notice of their own
What happens after you serve it
The neighbour has 14 days. If they consent in writing within that time, there is no dispute. If they say nothing, the Act treats them as dissenting, and a dispute is deemed to have arisen (section 5). Under section 10 the owners then agree one surveyor, or each appoint their own with a third chosen by the two, and the surveyors settle the matter by award. That does not stop the project, but it adds time and fees.
Drawings help. A neighbour who can see exactly what is proposed is more likely to consent. We draw the notice plans from the measured survey, and they sit alongside your planning drawings and structural calculations.
The notice periods in the Act
- 1 month
- A line of junction notice, for building on the boundary, must be served at least one month before the work starts. Party Wall etc. Act 1996, s.1
- 2 months
- A party structure notice, for work to a shared wall, must be served at least two months before the work begins. Party Wall etc. Act 1996, s.3(2)
- 12 months
- A party structure notice stops having effect if work has not begun within twelve months of service and is not being carried out with due diligence. Party Wall etc. Act 1996, s.3(2)(b)
- 14 days
- A neighbour who does not consent within 14 days of service is treated as dissenting, and a dispute is deemed to have arisen. Party Wall etc. Act 1996, s.5
- 3 m
- Excavation within 3 m of a neighbour’s building that goes below its foundations needs notice. Party Wall etc. Act 1996, s.6(1)
- 6 m
- Excavation within 6 m that meets a 45 degree line from the neighbour’s foundations also needs notice. Party Wall etc. Act 1996, s.6(2)
- 3 types
- The Act covers new building at or on the boundary, work to an existing party wall or structure, and excavation near neighbouring buildings. gov.uk, Party wall etc. Act 1996: guidance
Party wall questions
Do I need a party wall notice for an extension?
If it is built at or on the boundary, or involves digging near and below a neighbour’s foundations, yes. Check before you start.
How early must I serve the notice?
One month before for boundary building or excavation, and two months before for work to a party wall.
What if my neighbour does not reply?
After 14 days without consent the Act treats them as dissenting, and surveyors settle the dispute by award, either one agreed surveyor or one each with a third.
Sources: Party Wall etc. Act 1996, s.5 · Party Wall etc. Act 1996, s.10
Is the £39 per house or per owner?
Per adjoining owner. A house with a neighbour either side is two owners, £78.
Do you act as party wall surveyor?
No. We prepare the notices and plans. If a dispute arises, surveyors settle it under section 10 of the Act, and their fees are separate.
Other services people book with this one
Count your neighbours before you dig
Send the address and tell us what you are building. We tell you how many notices you need and reply with a fixed fee.