LondonA Party Wall Agreement - Party Wall Advice
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 ("the Act") came into force in 1997 throughout England and Wales and obligates you to formally notify and receive the consent of your neighbours if the work includes:
- work on an existing wall or structure shared with another property (section 2 of the Act)
- building a free standing wall or a wall of a building up to or astride the boundary with a neighbouring property (section 1 of the Act)
- excavating near a neighbouring building (section 6 of the Act)
Party Wall Agreements and Party Wall Notice Forms
If you are doing building work it is your responsibility, not the Local Authorities, to find out whether that work falls within the Act and whether you need a party wall agreement, properly known as a "Party Wall Award".
If it does, you must properly notify all affected neighbours, a quick word over the garden fence is not satisfactory. You can download party wall forms and templates here or you may prefer to appoint a Party Wall Surveyor experienced in Party Wall matters. If you get it wrong you may have to stop your building works. We offer a very competitive fixed fee service for residential work of a simple nature.
To see the text of the Act please click the link on the right.
These pages, which we are based on the governments' explanatory booklet aim to explain simply how the Act might affect you if you are doing building work or if you have received a party wall notice.
General Guidance
Work on Existing Party Walls
Building on The Boundary Line
Excavation Near Neighbours
Questions About the Party Wall Act
Get Help Now
