Thank you for clicking on this instalment of our informative Property Surveying blog. In today’s post, we are going to be taking a look at Party Wall Surveying procedures.
In particular, this blog post is going to be taking a look at Party Wall Awards. First and foremost, a Party Wall Award is also commonly referred to as a Party Wall Agreement by the general public.
For the avoidance of any doubt and for complete clarity we can confirm that an Award and Agreement are one in the same thing.
One of the most typical questions that we at Stokemont are asked by building owners, adjoining owners and contractors alike are how long does it take to agree a Party Wall Award.
This question usually arises when a building owner is trying to plan the timings for their proposed works. Alternatively, it may be a contractor trying to manage their job flow, to ensure that they are not left into a position where they have accepted a construction job, only to find the Party Wall Award is a cause of delay.
Equally, it may be an adjoining owner trying to plan how they will work their diary around their neighbours planned construction work.
Unfortunately, confirming the timings associated with the agreement of a Party Wall Award is a tricky one.
Party Wall Awards themselves are hinged on a number of different factors and procedures, therefore while we will do the very best we can hear at Stokemomt to give you some indication of the timings, there should be a cautionary note that this is a guide at best.
Party Wall Notices
The first step in moving to an agreement of a Party Wall Award is the service of a Party Wall Notice.
The Party Wall Notice will need to be served in advance of the planned works commencing and will carry a statutory time period of either one month or two months.
The statutory notice periods effectively mean that the adjoining owner, if they so choose, can request the building owner hold off commencing their planned Party Wall construction works until the expiration of that time frame.
That’s a relatively big time period for there to be uncertainty on, however until the Party wall Notice is served, with the adjoining owner confirming whether they want to uphold the statutory notice period or not. It is obviously an impossible timings to shed any light upon.
It should also be worth noting that the Party wall Notices have a response. Which needs to be honoured and run its course before there can be any meaningful progress on the Party Wall procedures.
Upon the service of the Party Wall Notice, the adjoining owner will have 16 calendar days to consider and respond to the Party Wall Notice itself.
This 16 days is made up of both the 14 day statutory notice period, as well as two days allowing for postage.
In the scenario whereby the adjoining owner does not respond to the initial Party Wall Notice, a further Party Wall Notice will need to be served.
This further Party Wall Notice, commonly referred to as a reminder notice. However, formally referred to as a Section 10(4) Party Wall Notice carries a 12 calendar day response period.
Again, this is made up of 10 statutory days, and a further two day postage allowances.
These timings in themselves will be roundabout a month.
Again, these timings are very much in the hands of the adjoining owner and even if they confirm they receive the Party Wall Notice, it is the all-important response of the Notice which is key in progressing the Party Wall Surveying procedures.
Party Wall Surveyor Appointment
As this blog post focuses on Party Wall Agreements. We are going to be assuming that an adjoining owner has dissented to the Party Wall Notice.
Upon dissenting to a Party Wall Notice commonly the adjoining owner will then be within their rights to appoint a Party Wall Surveyor on their behalf.
That Party Wall Surveyor will undertake various duties and roles in an effort to ensure that the risks associated with the building owner’s planned construction works are at their lowest possible level.
This procedure will result in:
- Site Inspection
- Drawing Review
- Drafting and Serving the Party Wall Award itself
We are now going to touch on these procedures in a little bit more detail to better advise you.
Party Wall Surveyor Review
Party Wall Surveyor review comes in the form of the Party Wall Surveyor reviewing the information available to them from the perspective of the adjoining owner’s property. This may include, however is not limited to:
- Construction Drawings
- Structural Calculations
- Architectural Plans
- Contractor Method Statements
They are all going to play a role in the timings associated with the planned works commencing.
It is also worth noting that the information can often need to be revised, or amended. This can be as a result of inaccuracy within the plans, clarification being required by the Party Wall Surveyor, or simply needing to adjust specific details that the act may not allow the building owner to undertake.
Again, there is going to be timing associated with this as a general point.
Schedule of Conditions Report
A Schedule of Conditions Report will consist of the Party Wall Surveyor’s on site assessment of the adjoining owner’s property.
A Schedule of Conditions Report will be undertaken prior to the building owner’s planned construction works commencing. The report itself will form part of the Party Wall Award in due course.
During the Schedule of Conditions Report, the Party Wall Surveyor will go room to room internally and cover all external aspects of the adjoining owner’s property.
The aim and outcome will be a comprehensive and robust condition report which sets out the pre-works condition of the adjoining owner’s property.
The benefit behind this report is to ensure that in the event of any issue or damage, the adjoining owner has a clear record in place so that they can definitively confirm if the damage is new, or indeed existing.
There can often be timing delays in both the Party Wall Surveyor being able to get a site. Also, commonly being delayed in the adjoining owner being able to take the time off work to compensate for the site inspection.
This is another moving piece that the building owner will need to consider when planning and trying to estimate the timings of the Party Wall Award service.
Party Wall Award Service
The final step in the Party Wall procedures will be the drafting and the service of the Party Wall Award itself.
The Party Wall Award will set out the specific requirements that the building requirements that the building owner and their contractors need to adhere to to the course of the planned works.
In almost all circumstances, Party Wall Awards are relatively standardised. With many Party Wall Surveyors having some form of system in place to generate a Party Wall Award relatively easily and quickly.
Nonetheless, there will be timings and delays associated with the agreement of the Party Wall Award, as it effectively has to pass through the Party Wall Surveyor, or Surveyors timings.
Overall, trying to estimate and assess the timing of a Party Wall Agreement is a touch tricky. However, as a very rough guideline, we would advise budgeting anywhere from 2 to 16 weeks.
2 weeks obviously being in a scenario whereby the works that are planned are relatively straightforward such as;
- Loft conversion
- Simple rear extension
- Simple side extension
- Simple internal works
And more towards the latter end of the timing spectrum if the works are indeed as follows;
- Structurally complex works
- Basement extensions
- Deep excavations
Overall, we would advise discussing Party Wall timings with a Party Wall Surveyor sooner than later, ultimately the Party Wall Surveyor is going to be able to review the information and give better guidance.
If you would like to discuss Party Wall Surveying and procedures with our team of experienced and qualified Party Wall Surveyors. Please feel free to give a call today and we would be more than happy to give advice and guide you.
If indeed you would like to read further on the process of Party Wall procedures or any other property surveying matters, why not take a look at our blog today where we have a number of different posts publicly available.
