Party wall matters,
handled properly.
Clear, impartial advice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 — whether you are planning the works or responding to a notice from next door. Serving Bristol, Bath and Gloucestershire.
MEMBER OF THE FACULTY OF PARTY WALL SURVEYORS · 25+ YEARS IN CONSTRUCTION · BEng (Hons)
If you are building
An extension, loft conversion or basement near the boundary requires you to notify affected neighbours before work begins. We draft and serve your notices, manage the responses, and keep your programme moving — without souring relations next door.
Start with a notice →If next door is building
A notice through your letterbox is not a threat — the Act exists to protect you. We explain what is proposed, record the condition of your property before works start, and represent your interests, normally at the building owner's expense.
Talk it through →Does the Act apply to your project?
Choose the situation closest to yours.
If the Act does apply, the next question is by when — work out your dates
This is a general guide, not advice on your specific project. The situations above are simplified — get in touch and we will tell you where you stand.
By when?
The Act works to fixed periods, each one traceable to a section. Give us the date you have and we will work out the date you need.
Every period the Act sets is listed below, with the section it comes from.
Every period in the Act, and where it comes from
| What | How long | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Notice — a new wall on the line of junction | At least 1 month before the works start | s.1(2), s.1(5) |
| Notice — work to the party structure itself | At least 2 months before the works start | s.3(2)(a) |
| Notice — excavation near a neighbouring building | At least 1 month before excavation begins | s.6(5) |
| Consent to a line of junction notice | 14 days beginning with the day of service. No consent, and the wall must go wholly on the building owner's own land — no dispute arises | s.1(4) |
| Consent to a party structure notice | 14 days beginning with the day of service. Silence is deemed dissent, and a dispute is deemed to have arisen | s.5 |
| Consent to an excavation notice | 14 days beginning with the day of service. Silence is deemed dissent, as under s.5 | s.6(7) |
| A party structure notice ceases to have effect | If the work has not begun within 12 months beginning with the day of service | s.3(2)(b)(i) |
| Placing projecting footings, wall wholly on own land | From 1 month to 12 months after the day the notice was served | s.1(6) |
| Appointing a surveyor after a written request | 10 days beginning with the day of the request, then the other party may appoint on your behalf | s.10(4) |
| A surveyor who neglects to act effectively | 10 days beginning with the day of the request, then the other surveyor may proceed ex parte | s.10(6), s.10(7) |
| Appeal to the county court against an award | 14 days beginning with the day the award is served on you | s.10(17) |
Two things the Act does not say. It sets no deemed date of service by post — s.15 lists the methods and is silent on when service takes effect, so a posted notice is served when it actually arrives. And it makes no adjustment anywhere for weekends or bank holidays: a period ending on a Sunday ends on that Sunday. Any date on this page inherits both.
Digging near the boundary? The three and six metre tests are a separate question again — check the distances
These are the Act's periods, not advice on your specific project — dates can turn on facts a calculator cannot see. Get in touch and we will confirm where you stand.
Three metres, or six?
Two different provisions, constantly written up as one. They measure different things, and both turn on a number you do not have.
Section 6 sets two tests. The first catches an excavation within three metres of a neighbouring building that goes below the level of the bottom of their foundations. The second catches one within six metres that meets a plane falling from the foot of their wall at forty-five degrees. Both depend on how deep their foundations go, which is why neither can be settled from a tape measure alone.
How far from their wall?
How deep will you dig?
Measured horizontally from the face of their external wall, and vertically from your own ground level.
If you are measuring in feet, watch the round numbers. Three metres is 9 ft 10 in, and six metres is 19 ft 8 in. So ten feet is outside the three metre test — by 48 mm — and twenty feet is outside the six metre test, by 96 mm. Pace out “about ten feet”, conclude you are within three metres, and you have the answer the wrong way round. At that margin it is worth measuring properly rather than deciding from a stride.
This is general guidance, not advice on your specific project. Level ground is assumed; where the two properties sit at different levels, or the neighbouring structure is not a simple wall, the geometry changes and it becomes a survey question rather than an arithmetic one. Get in touch and we will look at it properly.
From notice to award, in six steps
The Act sets a clear, structured path. We manage every step of it, for either side of the wall.
Read the official explanatory booklet (gov.uk) (opens in a new tab)
Plain figures, agreed in writing
Every fee is confirmed before any work begins.
Responding to a notice? Normally all surveying costs are met by the building owner serving it — representation usually costs you nothing.
After running into some difficulties with a Party Wall application, I turned to Chris. I found Chris to be friendly and professional. With his help, all problems were resolved in an open and direct way. I would not hesitate to recommend CDT Consulting.
Chris Truran BEng (Hons), FPWS
Chris has spent over twenty-five years in the construction industry, and brings that grounding to every party wall matter — from a garden wall on the line of junction to a basement dig beside a Georgian terrace.
- Member, Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors
- BEng (Hons)
- Francis Memorial Award — IStructE
- Civil Engineers Prize — ICE
Before you pick up the phone
What exactly is a party wall?
A wall shared by two properties: one standing astride the boundary, or a wall on one owner's land that separates two buildings. Floors between flats and garden walls astride the line ("party fence walls") are covered too.
I have planning permission — do I still need this?
Yes. Planning consent and the Party Wall etc. Act are entirely separate. Permission decides what you may build; the Act governs how works near the boundary are carried out. Both must be in place before you start.
Who pays the surveyors' fees?
In almost all cases the building owner carrying out the works pays all reasonable fees — including the adjoining owner's surveyor. If you have received a notice, representation normally costs you nothing.
What if my neighbour ignores the notice?
No reply within fourteen days is treated as dissent. That does not block your project — it simply moves matters into the formal procedure, where surveyors resolve the dispute by preparing an Award.
I've received a notice. Should I be worried?
No — the Act exists to protect you. You may consent, or appoint a surveyor to represent your interests, record your property's condition and agree safeguards, normally at your neighbour's expense.
Tell us about your project
A short note is enough — we will come back to you promptly with clear next steps.
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