Party wall agreements in London.
Chelsea · SW3 · underpinning beneath the party wall, before the concreteOn site, photograph
What the Party Wall Act asks of you, notice by notice. Then how we handle it on your build.
The Act asks for notice. Your neighbour answers in writing.
A party wall agreement is the written consent, or award, that follows a notice. We are NU Projects, design and build in Fulham SW6 since 2010. Party wall work sits inside our construction service, not a separate appointment. Call 020 7731 6841 to talk the work through.
People say party wall agreement. The Act itself speaks of notices, written consent and awards.
You must give notice before three kinds of work. A new wall at the boundary. Work to an existing party wall. Digging near a neighbour’s foundations.
Your neighbour can consent in writing, or disagree. Then one agreed surveyor, or two surveyors, settle it in an award.
Silence is not consent. Take work to a party wall, or an excavation. If no written reply comes within 14 days, a dispute is deemed to arise.
An agreement is separate from planning permission and building regulations. A project may need all three.
On our builds, party wall matters sit inside the construction service. We draft and serve the notices early, and coordinate the surveyors.
What the work includes
- The scope checked against the Act, wall by wall
- Notices drafted, with plans and sections where the Act needs them
- Notices served on every adjoining owner, on time
- Surveyors appointed, and the award agreed before work starts
- A record of the neighbour’s property before work begins
- Planning and building control run alongside, never instead
- A project that shows it
- Fulham basements
- Sources
- GOV.UK, party walls and building work, the government’s explanatory booklet on the Act, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Read on 21 October 2026.
- What it costs
- See a range in a minute. Then send us the address for a proper number. Open the calculator
- Where we work
- Fulham, Chelsea, Kensington, Knightsbridge, Belgravia, Mayfair, Notting Hill and Holland Park, Chiswick, Wandsworth, Putney and Barnes, Hampstead and St John’s Wood, Weybridge, Cobham and Oxshott, South Kensington, Marylebone, Bayswater and Maida Vale, Pimlico and Westminster, Battersea and Clapham, Richmond, Twickenham and East Sheen, Islington, Highgate and Primrose Hill, Greenwich, Dulwich, Camden, Wimbledon, Bermondsey, Brixton, Ealing, Acton, Hammersmith and Brook Green, Earl’s Court, Queen’s Park and Kensal Rise, Fitzrovia and Bloomsbury
Silence is not consent. After 14 days, it is a dispute.
From the first drawing to the award.
- 01
Check the scope
We read the drawings against the Act. Which walls, which digs, which neighbours.
- 02
Talk to the neighbours
The government’s own guidance advises talking first. It often avoids a dispute.
- 03
Serve the notices
In writing, to every adjoining owner, with the right period for each.
- 04
Consent or dispute
Each owner replies within 14 days. Consent in writing, or a surveyor decides.
- 05
The award
One agreed surveyor, or one each with a third selected. The award sets how work proceeds.
- 06
Build and close out
The surveyors may inspect as work goes on. Keep the award with your deeds.
What a party wall award usually covers.
- 01
The work itself
What will be done, set out in writing.
- 02
When and how
Working hours and methods, for example limits on noisy work.
- 03
Protection
Any extra work needed to protect the neighbour’s property.
- 04
The condition record
A record of the neighbour’s property before work begins.
- 05
Access
Access for the surveyors to inspect the work as it goes on.
- 06
Fees
Who pays the surveyors. Usually the owner building the work.
- 07
Security
A neighbour may ask for security for expenses before work starts.
- 08
Appeal
Either owner may appeal to the county court within 14 days.
The three notices, side by side.
Notice periods are the minimum the Act sets. A notice lapses after a year if work has not started.
| Question | A new wall at the boundary | Work to a party wall | Digging near a neighbour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section of the Act | Section 1 | Section 2 | Section 6 |
| Typical work | A new wall up to or astride the boundary line | Underpinning, cutting in steel, raising or thickening the wall | Excavating within 3 or 6 metres, depending on depth |
| Minimum notice | One month | Two months | One month |
| No written reply in 14 days | A wall astride the line must then sit wholly on your land | A dispute is deemed to arise | A dispute is deemed to arise |
| Plans with the notice | Helpful, not required | Helpful, not required | Plans and sections required |
What owners ask about party wall agreements.
Further reading, from the journal
Does a neighbour’s silence mean consent?
No. Silence is not written consent under the Act.
The next step depends on the notice and the statutory procedure. Our surveyor manages that for you.
What is a schedule of condition?
A schedule of condition records the visible condition of neighbouring areas before we start.
It is a useful reference if concerns arise later. It is not a promise that no movement will occur.
Can neighbours’ land be used for scaffolding or access?
Never assume permission for scaffolding or access on a neighbour’s land.
We review access and oversailing on a property specific basis. Any necessary agreement is put in place before we rely on it.
What is a party wall agreement?
It is the everyday name for written consent, or an award, under the Act.
The Act is the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
It applies in England and Wales.
How much notice must I give my neighbour?
Two months for work to an existing party wall.
One month for a new wall at the boundary, or an excavation nearby.
Your neighbour can agree to an earlier start, but does not have to.
How long does my neighbour have to reply?
14 days, in writing.
For party wall work or a dig nearby, silence counts as a dispute.
A surveyor, or two, then settle it in an award.
Does digging a basement need a party wall notice?
Often. The Act covers digging within 3 metres of a neighbour’s building, below their foundations.
It also covers a dig within 6 metres that crosses a 45 degree line.
That line runs down from the bottom of their foundations.
The notice period is one month, and it must include plans and sections.
Who pays the surveyors under the Act?
Usually the owner doing the work, where the work is for their benefit alone.
That includes the neighbour’s own surveyor.
The surveyors decide the fees. There are no set charges.
Can my neighbour stop the work?
Not under the Act, once the notices and procedure are followed.
A neighbour can influence how and when the work is done.
Work started without notice can be stopped by a court injunction.
How long is a party wall notice valid?
A year. If work has not started by then, the notice lapses.
So we time the notices to the programme, never too early.
Who can act as a party wall surveyor?
Almost anyone who is not one of the owners.
They should not already be supervising the building work.
GOV.UK suggests a building professional who knows the Act.
Can the Act settle a boundary dispute?
No. The Act has no power to fix where a boundary runs.
We get title information and specialist advice first.
Tell us what you plan to build, and where.
Your name and one way to reply are enough. It goes straight to the studio.