The Party Wall Award Process: What Happens After You Serve Notice?

A Party Wall Award (formally, an 'Award' under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996) is a legally binding document produced by one or more party wall surveyors that sets out:

• •The works to be carried out
• •The manner and timing of the works
• •The rights and obligations of each owner
• •The Schedule of Condition — a photographic and written record of the adjoining owner's property before works begin
• •Any compensation due to the adjoining owner if damage occurs
• •The surveyor's fees (who pays and how much)

Once signed by the surveyor(s), the Award is legally binding on both parties. It is not a planning document — it does not grant planning permission or Building Regs approval — but it does give both the building owner and adjoining owner a legal framework that protects them throughout the construction period.

**Why the Award matters for you as the building owner**: Without an Award, you have no formal mechanism to begin notifiable work under the Act. Starting work without one (when an Award was required) exposes you to an injunction. With an Award, you have legal authority to carry out the agreed works, and both you and the adjoining owner have a clear process for managing any damage that occurs.

The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 requires notice for three categories of work:

• **1. Works to a shared (party) wall**
• •Cutting into a party wall to insert a beam or lintel
• •Raising the height of a party wall
• •Making good defects in a party wall
• •Underpinning a party wall
• •Demolishing and rebuilding a party wall

• **2. New building at or astride the boundary (Line of Junction notice)**
• •Building a new wall on or at the boundary line
• •Most extension works that include a new wall at the boundary will require a Line of Junction notice

• **3. Excavation near neighbouring foundations (Section 6 notice)**
• •Excavating within 3m of a neighbour's building if the excavation goes deeper than the neighbour's foundations
• •Excavating within 6m if the excavation depth meets a 45° line drawn from the bottom of the neighbour's foundations

• For a standard single-storey rear extension in a London terrace or semi-detached house, the most common triggers are:
• •Cutting into the party wall to install an RSJ (structural steel) for a rear wall opening — Section 2 notice
• •Excavating new extension foundations within 3–6m of the neighbour's foundations — Section 6 notice

A side return extension that runs along the shared party fence line (not a structural party wall) may not trigger the Act if no work is done to or near the neighbour's foundations — but this should be confirmed by a party wall surveyor.

• **Step 1 — Notice served**
• The building owner (you) serves a party wall notice on the adjoining owner (neighbour). Notices must:
• •Be in writing
• •Describe the works with sufficient clarity
• •State the address of the property
• •Be served a required period in advance: 2 months for works to a party wall (Section 2); 1 month for a new wall at the line of junction (Section 1); 1 month for excavation (Section 6)

Notices can be served by the building owner personally, by your architect, or by a party wall surveyor.

• **Step 2 — Adjoining owner responds**
• The adjoining owner has 14 days to respond. There are three possible responses:
• •**Consent in writing**: the neighbour agrees to the works — no Award is required, works can proceed after the notice period expires. Keep the written consent on file.
• •**Dissent and agree to a single 'Agreed Surveyor'**: both parties appoint a single surveyor to act for both. The Agreed Surveyor produces the Award. Usually the most cost-efficient outcome.
• •**Dissent and appoint their own surveyor**: the two appointed surveyors work together (and may appoint a Third Surveyor to resolve disputes). This is the most formal route and typically most expensive.
• •**No response (deemed dissent)**: if the neighbour does not respond within 14 days, they are deemed to have dissented and must appoint a surveyor within a further 10 days.

**Step 3 — Schedule of Condition** Before the Award is finalised, the surveyor(s) visit the adjoining owner's property to record its condition. This photographic and written Schedule of Condition is appended to the Award. It is the baseline against which any damage claims during construction are assessed. For the building owner, a thorough Schedule of Condition protects against spurious damage claims. For the neighbour, it gives them documented evidence of the property's pre-works condition.

**Step 4 — Award produced and signed** The surveyor(s) produce the Award document, covering the works, conditions, timing restrictions, and fee allocation. Both surveyors sign. The Award is then served on both parties. Either party has 14 days to appeal the Award to the County Court — though appeals are rare in practice.

• **Typical timescales**:
• •Agreed Surveyor route: 4–8 weeks from notice served to Award signed
• •Two-surveyor route: 6–12 weeks from notice served to Award signed
• •Disputed or complex cases: 3–6 months

**What the Award does not do**: It does not grant planning permission. It does not authorise works that require Building Regulations approval without that approval being in place. It is solely a civil law document under the 1996 Act.

• **Party wall surveyor fees (London 2025)**:
• •Agreed Surveyor (single surveyor acting for both parties): £800–£1,500 for a straightforward Award
• •Building owner's surveyor: £600–£1,200
• •Adjoining owner's surveyor: £600–£1,200 — usually paid by the building owner (you)
• •Third Surveyor (if required to resolve disputes): £150–£300 per hour

**Who pays**: In most cases, the building owner (the person doing the works) pays all surveyor fees — both their own surveyor and the adjoining owner's surveyor. This is because the building owner is the party benefiting from the works. The Third Surveyor's fees are typically split or allocated by the Third Surveyor.

• **Ways to keep costs down**:
• •Serve accurate and complete notices first time — errors require re-serving and extend the timeline
• •Encourage consent: if the works are straightforward and the relationship with the neighbour is good, explain what you are doing clearly and early. Informal consent in writing avoids the need for a formal Award entirely
• •Agree to a single Agreed Surveyor where possible — this is significantly cheaper than two-surveyor route
• •Do not delay appointing a surveyor if dissent is received — delays extend the programme