Party Wall Surveyor fees
What You’ll Actually Pay in
Planning building work near a shared wall or boundary? Before you start, you need to understand party wall surveyor fees and what drives the overall cost. Get this wrong and you’re either underprepared financially or worse facing an injunction that halts your project entirely.
AC Design Solution are qualified party wall surveyor serving London and the surrounding areas. We offer transparent, fixed-fee party wall services with no hidden charges and no hourly rate surprises.
What Is the Party Wall Act?
What Is the Party Wall Act?
The Party Wall Act 1996 is the legislation that governs building work affecting shared walls, boundary structures, and excavations near neighbouring properties across England and Wales. It exists to protect both the building owner carrying out the work and the adjoining owner next door.
Understanding the Party Wall Act is important before you budget for anything. It sets the timelines, the notice requirements, and the rules around appointing surveyors. Work outside those rules and your neighbour can apply to the courts to stop your project entirely.
Do You Need a Party Wall Surveyor?
Not every building project triggers the Party Wall Act — but most extensions, loft conversions, and basement works in London do. You need a party wall surveyor when your proposed work affects a shared wall or boundary structure, involves excavation within three metres to Six Metres of a neighbouring property, or requires cutting into, raising, or underpinning a party structure.
If any of those apply, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 requires you to act before work starts. Ignoring it doesn’t make the obligation go away — it just means you’re exposed if something goes wrong.
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Party Wall Services From AC Design Solution
We’re members of the Institute of Party Wall Surveyors and have completed party wall surveying on over 10,000 UK projects across London and the surrounding areas. Our team handles everything from serving the party wall notice through to issuing the final party wall award — at a fixed fee agreed before we start.
Because we also provide architectural and structural engineering services in-house, we already understand your project in detail. There’s no back-and-forth between separate firms. One team handles the architecture, the structural calculations, and the party wall process together.
The Party Wall Agreement — What It Actually Means
Many people use party wall agreement and party wall award interchangeably. There is a distinction worth knowing.
A party wall agreement refers to the overall arrangement between you and your neighbour. If they consent in writing without a surveyor, that written consent is your agreement. If surveyors become involved, they produce a party wall award — the formal, legally binding version of that agreement.
Either way, you need something in place before work starts. The party wall agreement protects you throughout construction and provides the evidence needed if any dispute arises during or after the works.
Adjoining Owner — Understanding Their Role
The adjoining owner is your neighbour the person whose property shares a wall, boundary, or foundation zone with your planned works. Under the Party Wall Act, they have specific rights.
When you serve a party wall notice, the adjoining owner has 14 days to respond. They can consent, dissent, or say nothing — and silence counts as dissent. If they dissent, they’re entitled to appoint their own surveyor, with you covering the cost.
The adjoining owner isn’t your opponent in this process. In most cases they simply want reassurance that their property is protected. Handling the notice professionally and early usually leads to a straightforward outcome.
Serving a Party Wall Notice
Before any notifiable work begins, you must serve a party wall notice on every affected neighbour. This is a formal written document that describes what you’re planning, when you intend to start, and how the work may affect the adjoining property.
There are three types of notice under the Party Wall Act, each covering different work and carrying different notice periods.
Section 1 Notice — 1 Month's Notice
A Section 1 notice is required when you intend to build a new wall on or at the boundary line between two properties. This covers situations where no party wall currently exists but new construction will sit on or along the shared boundary.
You must serve this notice at least one month before work begins.
Section 2 Notice — 2 Months' Notice
A Section 2 notice covers work on an existing party wall or party structure. This is the most common notice type and applies to the majority of London extensions, loft conversions, and structural alterations.
It covers work such as cutting into a party wall to insert beams, removing chimney breasts from a shared wall, raising or underpinning a party wall, and demolishing and rebuilding a party wall.
You must serve this notice at least two months before work begins.
Section 6 Notice — 1 Month's Notice
A Section 6 notice is required when you plan to excavate within three metres of a neighbouring structure if your excavation will go deeper than their foundations, or within six metres if your excavation cuts a 45-degree plane below the neighbour’s foundation level.
This applies even if you’re not touching a party wall at all — basement excavations and deep foundation works near a boundary regularly trigger this notice.
You must serve this notice at least one month before work begins.
Once a notice is served, your neighbour has 14 days to respond. If they consent in writing, you can proceed. If they dissent — or don’t respond at all — the formal dispute process begins and you’ll need to appoint a surveyor.
Getting the right notice type wrong, or serving it too late, can delay your entire project. We handle the full process identifying which notices apply, drafting them correctly, and serving them on your behalf.
Not sure which notice applies to your project? Use our free party wall notice generator to create the right notice in minutes.
Generate Your Party Wall Notice in Minutes
Need to serve notice before your project starts? Our free generator creates a legally compliant party wall notice instantly — no solicitor needed.
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What Is the Cost of a Party Wall Surveyor?
Party wall surveyor cost in London typically ranges from £150 per hour to £1,500+ fixed cost depending on the service required, the complexity of the project, and how many surveyors are involved. Here's what those figures look like in practice.
How Much Does a Party Wall Survey Cost? Our Fixed Fees
£150
Simple Consent
Your neighbour agrees to the work in writing. No formal survey required. This covers the Land Registry compliance check, review of your drawings, and drafting and finalising the party wall notice.
£450
Consent with Schedule of Condition
Your neighbour consents, but a surveyor visits their property first to document its existing condition. This creates the record that protects you if damage is later claimed. Includes notice, site visit, and Schedule of Condition. A surveyor will usually recommend this service over simple consent alone — and for good reason. Without it, you have no baseline record if a neighbour later disputes the cause of damage.
£600
Agreed Surveyor
When both or more parties concur in the appointment of a single surveyor to act on behalf of all parties, their role is to act impartially for all parties involved and request relevant information — drawings, method statements, risk assessments — carry out a site visit where access is granted to undertake a Schedule of Condition of the neighbouring property, which will enable them to conclude matters within the Party Wall Award and serve upon all parties.
£750
Full Party Wall Award
When your neighbour dissents or doesn't respond, a formal party wall award is required. This is the legally binding document that sets out exactly how the work proceeds. Includes notice, inspections of both properties, Schedule of Condition, and the full award. Based on using a single agreed surveyor. If two party wall surveyors are appointed separately, costs increase — typically £1,000–£2,000 per surveyor, with the building owner responsible for both sets of fees.
* All fees are fixed and agreed upfront. If separate surveyors are appointed by each party, the building owner is responsible for both sets of fees — typically £1,000–£2,000 per surveyor. Using an agreed surveyor avoids this entirely.
FAQs
How to Appoint a Party Wall Surveyor and When?
You appoint a surveyor once your neighbour dissents or once it becomes clear they won’t respond within the 14-day window. At that point both parties need representation.
There are two routes. The first is to appoint a surveyor jointly — both the building owner and adjoining owner agree to use one agreed surveyor who acts impartially for both sides. This is the most cost-effective option and works well when there’s no serious dispute.
The second is for each party to appoint a surveyor separately. When two party wall surveyors are appointed, the building owner’s surveyor and the adjoining owner’s surveyor work together to agree and issue the award. If they can’t reach agreement, a third surveyor is brought in to make a binding decision. This costs significantly more and takes longer.
In most standard party wall projects, agreeing to appoint a surveyor jointly is the right decision. It reduces party wall surveyor cost, saves time, and produces the same legal protection as having two party wall surveyors working independently.
Single Surveyor vs Appointed Surveyor — What's the Difference?
A single surveyor — known as the agreed surveyor — acts for both the building owner and the adjoining owner simultaneously. They must remain impartial throughout. This is permitted under Section 10 of the Party Wall Act and is common on straightforward projects.
An appointed surveyor is one appointed by just one party. When both sides appoint separately, each has their own appointed surveyor. The two appointed surveyors then work together to produce the award. If they can’t agree, both appoint a third surveyor whose decision is final.
The appointed surveyor route is more expensive because two professionals are billing for the same process. Unless there’s a genuine dispute requiring independent representation, the single surveyor route is preferable for most projects.
Who Pays the Surveyor's Fees?
Under the Party Wall Act, the building owner is responsible for the surveyor’s fees in almost all cases — including the adjoining owner’s surveyor fees when separate appointments are made.
Party wall surveyors charge for their time based on the complexity and scope of the work involved. Chartered surveyors working on party wall matters will usually set out their fee structure clearly before starting. Always confirm whether fees are fixed or hourly before you appoint a party wall surveyor — the difference matters when projects run longer than expected.
The adjoining owner may become liable for fees in limited circumstances: if they request work beyond what was originally proposed, if they refer a dispute to the third surveyor and that decision goes against them, or if they instruct the surveyor on matters outside the scope of the Act.
Don’t budget for just your own surveyor. If your neighbour is likely to appoint their own, plan for both sets of surveyors’ fees from the start.
What Affects the Overall Cost?
Number of neighbours who adjoin your property. Each adjoining owner is a separate party. A mid-terrace with neighbours on both sides costs more than an end-of-terrace. More people who adjoin means more notices, more inspections, and potentially more surveyors involved.
Whether you use a single surveyor or two party wall surveyors. This is the biggest cost variable. Using one agreed surveyor rather than two appointed surveyors typically produces cost savings of £500–£1,500 on the overall project. A surveyor to avoid the two-surveyor process where possible is almost always worth pursuing if your neighbour is open to it.
Complexity of the works. Basement excavations and structural works near a party structure require more detailed assessments. A surveyor may need multiple site visits and more extensive documentation for high-risk or complex works near a shared wall or boundary.
Quality of your drawings. Incomplete plans create delays and additional time costs. Party wall surveyors charge for the time spent reviewing and querying inadequate drawings. Having full architectural drawings ready before you serve notice keeps fees as low as possible and helps you comply with the party wall process without unnecessary hold-ups.
Location. Party wall surveyor cost in London and the surrounding areas is higher than the national average, reflecting the density of properties and the complexity of access in built-up areas.
How to Keep Party Wall Fees Down?
Talk to your neighbour before anything else. Explain the project, show them the drawings, and reassure them that their property is protected. A neighbour who consents in writing saves you the entire award process and several hundred pounds in surveying fees.
If they do dissent, encourage them to agree on a single surveyor rather than each party appointing separately. Frame it as the faster, cheaper option for both sides — because it is. Cost savings here can be substantial, particularly on projects where the works are straightforward and there’s no real dispute about how they should be carried out.
Have your drawings ready before you serve the party wall notice. Surveyors charge for chasing incomplete information. The cleaner your documentation, the lower your professional fees.
Some building owners try to avoid the process altogether. That’s a serious mistake. If you need a party wall surveyor and don’t appoint one, you lose all legal protection. Your neighbour can seek an injunction to stop the work. Legal costs and project delays will far exceed whatever you saved by skipping the surveyor appointment. Always seek legal advice before ignoring the requirements of the Party Wall Act the cost of non-compliance is always higher than the cost of doing it properly.
What Do Party Wall Surveyor Fees Actually Cover?
It helps to have a clear understanding of the party wall process and what those professional fees are buying you.
Before work starts, a qualified party wall surveyor documents the condition of both properties. If damage occurs during construction, you have a clear record of what existed beforehand. Without it, you’re exposed your neighbour can claim any pre-existing crack was caused by your builders, and you have no evidence to dispute it.
The party wall agreement or more formally, the party wall award — sets out exactly what work is permitted, how it’s to be carried out, access arrangements, and working hours. It’s the document that keeps your project legally protected from start to finish. For most projects required under the Party Wall Act, these professional fees are among the smallest costs on the entire budget sheet.
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What You Need to Know About Party Wall Disputes
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