In this weeks property surveying blog post, we are going to be discussing party wall surveyors, and whether they require any formal qualification.
Oddly, from a legal perspective, a party wall surveyor does not require any form of formal qualification.
Yes, you heard it right, a party wall surveyor can indeed be a lay person, or potentially someone with little to no experience in property manners.
The Party Wall Etc Act 1996 itself is relatively loose in that regard, which ultimately means that there are all different types of party wall surveyors, with different levels of experience, qualifications, and backgrounds, making the profession a very interesting one!
Here at Stokemont, we would advise ensuring that the party wall surveyor that you select is indeed a member of a recognized and established governing body, as this will ensure that they not only have a firm and solid knowledge of party wall procedures, but they also have a robust property background as well.
By selecting a surveyor of this pedigree, you will also be ensuring that they likely have some form of professional indemnity (PII) insurance in place, thereby effectively giving you some recourse or means to pursue, should there be a significant or major issue.
Party wall surveying matters can often become complex, as construction drawings are prepared and in many cases, can lack, or not contain full information necessary to agree the Party Wall Award. We would therefore, advise that you ensure the party wall surveyor you ultimately select is indeed an experienced party wall surveyor, and without doubt has worked on a similar issue or party wall dispute to which you are a party to.
If you’d like to discuss your party wall surveying matters with our team of experienced and qualified Party Wall Surveyors here at Stokemont, give us a call now and we will be more than happy to assist you.