Party walls, what you need to know

We have all heard of those neighbours that add havoc and frustration to homeowners. Some of us have had experience with them. One says “the dog is too loud”. Another says “the crying baby keeps me up at night”. A third says “your tree is over my side”. When you have neighbours, issues can arise. But if you are respectful of each other, it should be peaceful. It should also be easy to accommodate one and another.

You may get on superbly well with your neighbours. Issues can still arise when one of you plans construction work on your property. Due to the financial climate, more people are extending their property. They make it more family liveable by knocking down walls. Others convert their lofts or add a basement. With these extensions, can come neighbour tension.

Party walls are found in terraced houses or semi-detached houses. Your wall is adjoined to the next house. This wall may adjoin the two properties with no gap in between. Then that is a party wall. You may be thinking about work on your property that will affect your neighbour. Then a party wall agreement has to be put in place.

Party wall notices are needed for a new wall that will affect your neighbour. That includes cutting into a party wall. It includes making a party wall taller, shorter or deeper. Removing chimneys on the party wall also counts. So does knocking down and rebuilding a part of the party wall. Other examples include a rear side extension to your property’s boundary. Converting the loft is another. Working on a boundary that already exists also counts. So do underpinning, cutting and repairing. All of these touch the wall you share. So your neighbour must be told about the work. The Party Wall agreement tells your neighbours about the work you are proposing. It also lets them know that it may affect them. Work on your property can bring dust, dirt and noise.

A verbal agreement is not enough. The notice must be in writing, and the notice period depends on the work. A party structure notice covers cutting into or altering the shared wall. It is served at least two months before work starts. A line of junction or excavation notice needs one month. Your neighbour then has fourteen days to consent or dissent.

A neighbour can dissent, and often does. That is not a refusal and it does not end the project. It moves the matter to a party wall surveyor, who hears both sides. The surveyor draws up an award setting out what may be done and how. The Act is a process, not a veto. It costs a fee and it adds time to the programme. That is the reason to start it early rather than late.

Two related terms are worth knowing. A party fence wall is a garden wall built on the boundary. A party structure is a floor or ceiling shared between flats.

Party wall matters are slow rather than difficult. NU Projects coordinates the surveyor alongside building control and the structural design. So the notices go out on time. The programme is built around them. Tell us what you are planning. We will say early whether your project needs one. For more detail, read what a party wall agreement costs and who handles it.