Party Wall Surveyors
in Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Suffolk
Whatever you require, our online party wall surveyors have extensive experience in party wall agreements and have successfully completed thousands of party wall awards.
Whether you are a building owner planning to carry out party wall work, or an adjoining who has received a party wall notice, we can provide a party wall surveyor to help. We regularly assist building owners and adjoining owners with party wall agreements and can arrange all party wall notices, party structure notices, line of junction notices and notices of adjacent excavation that might be required.
Our party wall surveyors will prepare a schedule of condition (sometimes called a condition survey or a party wall survey) of any party walls and nearby buildings before the party wall work starts, which will serve as a safeguard if any claim for damage arises. We will negotiate all party wall agreements and awards and will serve these in good time for the building works to commence.
Whatever stage you or your neighbours project is at, we can help. We can provide an expert, low-cost party wall surveyor to ensure you receive all the support you need at every stage of the party wall work.
Notice of Adjacent Excavation (Three metre notice or six metre notice)
Under section 6 of the Party Wall Act, you must serve a party wall notice on any neighbour if you are planning to carry out any excavations;
- within three metres (measured horizontally) and below the footings (or assumed depth of footings) of their adjoining structure, or
- within six metres (measured horizontally) for deeper excavations and foundations, as defined under the Party Wall Act.
A notice of adjacent excavation must contain certain key information and appended drawings to be legally valid, and you must serve the notice at least one month before you start the work.
Our party wall surveyor team can prepare your party wall notice for a low-cost flat fee, and can arrange all necessary party wall agreements if you require.
Party Wall Notice and Party Structure Notice
Section 2 of the Party Wall Act requires you to serve a party wall notice on any neighbour if you are planning to carry out any significant work on or to the party wall. Some common examples of notifiable party wall work include;
- raising or lowering chimneys
- removing or altering chimneybreasts
- underpinning or altering foundations of a party wall
- inserting steel beams into a party wall
- cutting off overhangs, flues or projections
- inserting weatherings or flashings into a party wall
- drilling or inserting a damp proof course
A party wall notice must contain certain information to be legally valid, and you must serve the notice at least two months before you start the work.
Our Cambridge party wall surveyors can prepare your party wall notice for a low-cost flat fee, and will arrange all necessary party wall agreements you may require.
Line of Junction Notice
You must serve a party wall notice under Section 1 of the Party Wall Act if you are planning to build a new wall at the boundary (usually called the 'line of junction') where there is no wall already there. The wall may be across or at the boundary, or may be entirely within your own land.
A line of junction notice must contain certain information and you must serve the notice at least one month before you start the work.
Our party wall surveyors can prepare your party wall notice and will arrange any necessary party wall agreements that you may need.
Condition Surveys and Schedules of Condition
A party wall agreement (or party wall award) usually includes a comprehensive schedule of condition (sometimes called a condition survey or a party wall survey) of any nearby neighbouring land and structures which might be affected by the work. This forms a legal record of their existing condition and any historic defects which might be present before the works start.
This schedule gives both neighbours an impartial professional assessment of the property's condition, and can be used as the basis of any claim for damage later on should this be required.
Our Cambridge party wall surveyors are highly trained in preparing schedules of condition and will provide an accurate, professional summary of all relevant areas before the works start, which can be appended to your party wall agreement or sent directly to you and your neighbours if they do not require a formal party wall agreement.
Third Surveyor
The Party Wall Act requires that, where the two owners appoint different surveyors, those surveyors must select a third surveyor who shall settle any matter on which they cannot agree, or any matter raised by either of the appointing owners throughout the process.
Mike Ashton MRICS MCABE MPTS is regularly selected as a third surveyor and we are happy to accept any such commissions.
