Party wall awards

What an award does

When a neighbour dissents from a notice, or stays silent, the Act treats it as a dispute and surveyors settle it by making an award. The award decides the right to do the work, when and how it is done, and anything else that arises from it, including who pays the surveyors' costs.

What goes into ours

• A description of the work and the drawings and calculations it relates to.
• The schedule of condition of the neighbouring property.
• How the work is to be carried out, including temporary support and how the wall is cut or raised.
• Working hours, and protection from dust, debris and weather.
• Access arrangements, if the builders need to go onto the neighbour's land.
• Making good, and what happens if damage is caused.
• Who pays the surveyors' fees.

One surveyor or two

An agreed surveyor acts for both owners at once. It is quicker and costs less, and it works well for most lofts and extensions where neighbours get on.

Two surveyors: each owner appoints their own, and the two agree the award between them. At the outset they choose a third surveyor, who is called in only if they cannot agree a point. It rarely comes to that.

Whichever route is taken, every surveyor acts under the Act, not for one side against the other.

Appeals

Either owner can appeal to the county court within 14 days of the award being served. We go through the award with both owners in plain English before serving it, so nobody is surprised by what it says.

How we work

• We read the engineer's calculations as well as the architect's drawings.
• We visit the site and the neighbouring property. Awards are not written from a desk.
• We write in plain English, so builders and homeowners can follow what has been agreed.

Acting as agreed surveyor for both owners, our award fee is from £600, depending on the work. See fees.