In today’s Property Surveying blog post we are going to be looking at party wall surveying procedures.
In particular, we are going to be looking at the procedures that fall into play during the course of planning any construction works to your property.
While there are multiple different layers to peel back during the course of proposed construction works, including:
- Architectural Drawings
- Structural drawings
- Building Control Applications
- Planning Permissions
- Permitted Developments
- Structural Calculations
- Contractor Tendering
- Contractor Selection
There is also the process of engaging and selecting a party wall surveyor to administer the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
For almost all construction works that are in close proximity to neighbouring structures, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 will apply and therefore Party Wall Notices will need to be served well in advance of the works commencing.
In this blog post, we are going to be looking at some handy tips that a building owner can take into account to ensure that they seek and engage with a party wall surveyor at the best possible time.
First and foremost, when it comes to party wall surveyor selection, building owners should make their selections based both on the surveyor’s experience, however also their merit.
A little unknown fact of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, is that the term party wall surveyor is incredibly loose.
“surveyor” means any person not being a party to the matter appointed or selected under section 10 to determine disputes in accordance with the procedures set out in this Act.
This effectively means that anyone can call themselves a party wall surveyor and start charging the general public for their services.
In order to be a party wall surveyor you therefore don’t need any form of qualifications, experience or knowledge. For this reason we tend to see a vast range of different party wall surveyors within the market ranging from those who are incredibly experienced, to those who are wholly unexperienced.
The next sensible consideration to make, is the professional, or governing bodies that the party wall surveyor is a member of.
Almost all credible property surveyors will be members of some form of professional or governing body.
Whether it is the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), or any other credible governing body. The key aim is to ensure that the surveyor that is selected is not only experienced, but also has the qualification and know how to back up their understanding.
The next consideration to take into account is the location of the party wall surveyor. You should aim to appoint a party wall surveyor who is not only local to the job, however is going to be on hand to assist and deal with any issues should they arise both in the lead up to the agreement of the Party Wall Award and also post construction.
We have heard many a story here at Stokemont about surveyors who aren’t based near the property where the works are taking place, and even those who are actually based in other countries. Our take on it here is that this is wholly inappropriate and likely professional misconduct.
We would therefore advise that the party wall surveyor that you select to handle your party wall matter is local, contactable, and on hand to best advise.
The final consideration that we would suggest you take into account is the experience of the party wall surveyor.
Party wall surveying like any professional has its complexities, with these complexities usually coming through experience.
A more experienced party wall surveyor will have likely dealt with various different scenarios, if not all of the scenarios that the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 flags up to them, meaning that in the event of an issue, they are very well placed to assist and handle the problem in the most time and cost effective way possible.
In many cases, building owners can be swayed or led by those party wall surveyors who are charging fees towards the lower end of the spectrum, while here at Stokemont we fully understand the attraction in getting what would be perceived to be a good deal, it does come with a word of caution, that within the professional spectrum, you often pay for what you get.
With credible governing body memberships coming at a premium, bona fide insurance policies coming at a premium, it is often difficult for credible surveyors to get to these lower end spectrum prices.
If you would like to discuss party wall surveying procedures with our team of qualified and experienced surveyors here at Stokemont, give us a call today and we would be more than happy to assist and advise you.
