Updated 26 October 2026 · SK Home Improvements
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 is a law in England and Wales that sets out how you must notify neighbours before certain building work on or near a shared wall, a boundary or their foundations, and how disagreements are settled by surveyors. Scotland and Northern Ireland have no equivalent Act.
What is the Party Wall Act?
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 is a law that applies in England and Wales and sets out how you must give your neighbours notice before certain building work on or near a shared wall, a boundary, or close to their foundations. It also sets out how disagreements are settled, by surveyors rather than the courts. The Act does not stop you building, and it does not replace planning permission or Building Regulations.
Scotland and Northern Ireland have no equivalent Act. There, work affecting a neighbour is governed by the general law, title deeds and, for Scottish tenement flats, the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004. It is still sensible to talk to your neighbour early and, where the work is significant, to take legal advice.
What counts as a party wall?
A party wall is a wall shared by two properties, either standing across the boundary line or standing on one owner's land but used by both to divide their buildings. The wall between two semi-detached or terraced houses is the most common example. The Act also covers:
- Party fence walls: masonry garden walls that stand across the boundary but are not part of a building. Timber fences are not included.
- Party structures: floors and other structures dividing flats or other parts of a building owned separately.
- Boundary lines: where you want to build a new wall on or right up to the boundary.
What work needs a party wall notice?
Notice is needed for three broad types of work, each under a different section of the Act.
- Work to an existing party wall: cutting into it to take steel beams, inserting a damp-proof course, raising or thickening it, underpinning it, or demolishing and rebuilding it. Removing a chimney breast attached to a party wall usually counts.
- Building a new wall on the boundary line: for example, the side wall of an extension built astride or up to the boundary.
- Excavating near a neighbour's building: digging within 3 m of their building and deeper than their foundations, or within 6 m where the dig would cut a line drawn at 45 degrees down from the bottom of their foundations.
Typical home projects affected include loft conversions with beams in the party wall, rear extensions with foundations near next door, and removing a load-bearing wall where the new beam bears on a shared wall. Minor work such as fixing shelves, rewiring or replastering usually does not need notice.
How much notice do you have to give?
The minimum notice period depends on the type of work, and your neighbour can agree in writing to a shorter period.
| Type of notice | Typical work | Minimum notice |
|---|---|---|
| Party structure notice | Work to an existing party wall | 2 months |
| Line of junction notice | New wall on the boundary | 1 month |
| Notice of adjacent excavation | Digging foundations near next door | 1 month |
A notice generally lapses if the work does not start within a year, so serve it once your plans and start date are settled. Notices must be in writing and contain set information, and a separate notice goes to each adjoining owner, including the owner of the building where your neighbour is a tenant.
What happens after you serve notice?
Your neighbour, known as the adjoining owner, has 14 days to respond. They can consent to the work or dissent from it. If they do not reply within 14 days, a dispute is treated as having arisen.
If your neighbour consents, work can go ahead once the notice period ends, and it is sensible to agree a written record of the condition of their property first, with photos. If there is a dispute, it is settled by surveyors: either one agreed surveyor acting for both owners, or one surveyor each. The two surveyors select a third surveyor who can step in if they cannot agree. The surveyors then prepare a party wall award.
What is a party wall award?
A party wall award is a legal document prepared by the surveyors that sets out what work can be done, how and when it will be done, and how the neighbouring property will be protected. It usually includes a schedule of condition recording the state of the neighbour's property before work starts, drawings of the work, working hours and access arrangements, and who pays the surveyors' costs.
Both owners are bound by the award. Either can appeal to the county court within 14 days of receiving it, although appeals are uncommon. If the work causes damage, the Act requires the building owner to make it good or pay compensation, and the schedule of condition helps show what changed.
How much do party wall surveyors cost?
The building owner normally pays the reasonable costs of all the surveyors, including the neighbour's. As a typical guide, expect around £1,000 to £2,000 per neighbour for a straightforward award, and more in London or where the work is complex. Using one agreed surveyor for both sides usually costs less. A terraced house with work affecting both neighbours means two sets of costs.
If your neighbours consent in writing, there are no surveyors' fees for an award, though a schedule of condition is still worth having. Party wall costs belong in your budget alongside drawings and building control; our extension cost guide lists the other fees to expect.
How can you keep things smooth with your neighbours?
Talking to your neighbours before you serve notice is the simplest way to avoid a dispute. Explain the plans, show the drawings, give the expected start date and how long the noisy work will last, and give them a contact for questions during the job.
- Serve notice in good time so the notice period does not delay your start.
- Offer a schedule of condition even if they consent.
- Agree working hours and where scaffolding, skips and deliveries will go.
- Keep paths and shared drives clear and clean.
The Act also gives a right, with notice, to enter a neighbour's land where that is needed to carry out work under the Act.
How do we handle party wall matters on your job?
At the survey we check whether your project involves a party wall, a boundary or nearby excavation, and explain which notices are likely to be needed. Notices are served on behalf of the owner, and we can arrange for a party wall surveyor to prepare and serve them, then build the notice period into the programme so work can start on time.
See how this fits with loft conversions and other projects, or start with a range from our guide-price tool.
Related services
- Loft conversions: guide £30,000–£65,000 inc VAT
- Single-storey extensions: guide £35,000–£75,000 inc VAT
- Wall removal and steel beams: guide £3,000–£8,000 inc VAT
Figures in this guide are typical UK ranges including VAT where it applies. They are not quotes. Rules on planning and building control differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and change over time, so we check what applies to your property before quoting.