What is a Party Wall Agreement in London?
The Party Wall Act came into effect in 1996 and exists to resolve or mitigate any disputes between neighbours when certain kinds of construction work are carried out. Since a “Party Wall” is a dividing line or boundary between two pieces of property, both owners have a shared responsibility – this is where an expert on Party Wall Agreement in London comes in to advise you on a range of Party Wall issues.
Our London Party Wall Agreement surveyors cover the entire region and are fully qualified to advise on and help you manage a complete range of party wall matters.
How does a Party Wall Survey work,
and do I need a Surveyor?
When it comes to sharing a party wall between two properties, the services of a surveyor specialising in “Party Wall Agreement London” are called upon to prepare and administer a Party Wall Agreement as per the Party Wall Act of 1996.
The professional surveyors at London Architect can act on your behalf as well as the adjacent owner, meticulously assessing the Party Wall’s nature and then providing entirely impartial advice to both parties in light of the repairs, alterations or planned structural changes.
The professional insight of a London Party Wall Agreement surveyor is required when you’re:
- Planning to construct a new wall at the dividing line or boundary between your property and your neighbour’s.
- Knocking down an existing party wall or rebuilding a new one; or knocking down/rebuilding a boundary wall according to a Line of Junction Notice.
- Cutting into a party wall to insert a supporting steel beam or removing a chimney breast.
- Carrying out excavations that are in close proximity of your neighbour’s property’s foundations (3-6 metres).
Therefore, if your project demands any work which requires modification, changes or updates to the party wall, then you must seek professional advice on Party Wall Agreement in London – to ensure that your project moves along smoothly without any hiccups. London Architect is here to provide unbiased and up-to-the-minute advice on all kinds of London Party Wall Agreement matters.
Why us as your Party Wall Surveyors?
At London Architect, we are fully independent, and impartial party wall surveyors registered with RICS and regularly tending to various party wall matters for building owners and adjoining owners. In addition to being an RICS-regulated firm, our London Party Wall Agreement surveyors are also members of the Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors. We will always be in your corner to ensure that no issues, missteps or hindrances arise during your project due to any party wall issues.
With that said, we do always advise on maintaining an open and positive relationship with your neighbour and discuss your construction or modification plans with them transparently before serving a Party Wall Notice.
London Party Wall Agreement –
How does it work?
If you need to sign a Party Wall Agreement in London, and once the adjoining owner has responded to your Party Wall Notice, our professional surveyors will begin the process:
Initial surveyor review
Our professional and fully qualified party wall surveyor will review your construction plans from both your perspective and your adjoining property owner’s perspective. This review may include (without limitation):
- Structural calculations
- Proposed structural drawings
- Any existing proposed architectural drawings
- Land Registry Title Deeds
- Any piece of information about the construction works about to commence
Condition inspection and report
At this stage, our party wall surveyor will familiarise themselves with the general lay of the land, ensuring that all aspects of your construction works (and any associated risks) have been taken into account.
They will then record and document the complete condition of the adjoining neighbour’s property, ensuring that they have a clear, transparent and detailed record in their possession regarding the pre-construction works. This record forms an integral part of the Party Wall Agreement in London, providing the neighbouring owner legal protection, should any damage or other issues arise due to the construction works.
London Party Wall Agreement
After our party wall surveyor has finished reviewing your construction works, they will move on to drafting the Party Wall Agreement in London – a legal piece of document governing your construction works. Standard clauses in this agreement include:
- The project’s full scope
- Procedures to be undertaken in case of damage or other issues
- Procedures to be undertaken if any compensation is required (due to damage or other issues)
- Underlying construction method and criteria
- Approved working/operational hours
- Provisions and procedures for temporary access
Once the London Party Wall Agreement has been served, you can monitor the progress of your project on-site, subject to the Party Wall Agreement (London) requirements, of course.
Post project inspection
The final step will see the surveyor undertaking a further inspection and surveying the adjoining owner’s property. This inspection is critical as it enables our party wall surveyor to check off each item according to the Condition Inspection & report – where they will be able to assess if any changes to the condition have taken place or any damage to the adjoining property’s wall as a result of the construction works.
Suppose any issue has arisen or any damage done. In that case, our surveyor will bear the responsibility of handling the damage, ensuring that the contractor fully repairs – so that your neighbour is compensated for any loss and repair costs.
Get your ‘London Party Wall Agreement’ affairs in order.
London Architect’s experienced team of party wall surveyors and administrators is here to see that everything runs smoothly from start to finish. We cover the entire London area, so don’t hesitate to contact us to receive completely honest and impartial advice on party wall matters.
Area We Cover
