In this week’s property surveying blogpost, we are going to be discussing roof access and when it applies under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
If you are planning on undertaking works to a loft conversion, or raising a party parapet wall, which is the wall which separates the two roofs at its highest point, under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 you will have the legal right of access onto the adjoining owner’s roof.
However, in order to ensure that the risk of damage is minimised, with issues such as cracked tiles, slipped tiles, blocked gutters, or any other form of damage to the roof, the party wall surveyors and Party Wall Award will set out and govern the manner in which that access is to be achieved.
Generally speaking, the access designed will reduce the risk of issue and damage to the adjoining owner’s roof and is commonly in the form of cantilevered scaffolding which projects over the adjoining owner’s airspace, however, it ensures that no part of the scaffolding tower actually rests on their roof.
The benefit of this is that the knock-on effect of damage is relatively low, as the scaffolding will generally be double boarded with a layer of polythene sheeting between those respective boards. This ensures that any falling debris, tools, materials, or even workmen(!) remains fully within the building owner’s property and does not enter the adjoining owner’s roof causing the eventual damage.
Party wall roof access is one of the more commonly required forms of access that the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 deals with and the key is to ensure that the works are considered from the perspective of the adjoining owner’s property thereby making the risks as low as they can possibly be.
If you are planning on undertaking works and believe that party wall access may be applicable, or your neighbour is planning on doing works and you believe that they may require access onto your roof, give our team of experienced and qualified party wall surveyors here at Stokemont a call now and we will be more than happy to assist you.
