Thank you for clicking on today’s Property Surveying blog post topic. In today’s informative post we are going to be looking at party wall surveying procedures.
In particular, we are going to be taking a focussed in-depth look at agreed party wall surveyors.
An agreed party wall surveyor will act impartially on behalf of both a building owner and adjoining owner and administer the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
In simple terms, this means that the single agreed party wall surveyor will act impartially on behalf of both of the respective owners, undertaking all of the normal roles that they would do if they were acting on behalf of one of the owners respectively. With the normal procedures and protocols that party wall surveyors undertake applying. These include, however are not limited to;
- Reviewing the building owner’s proposed construction works from the perspective of the adjoining owner’s property.
- Undertaking a Schedule of Condition report of the adjoining owner’s property prior to the building owner’s construction works commencing.
- Drafting and agreeing a Party Wall Award setting out the building owner’s proposed works.
- Undertaking a post work Schedule of Condition report of the adjoining owner’s property.
- Handling all communications and discussion with both the building owner and adjoining owner respectively.
The key difference between an agreed surveyor appointment and a two party wall surveyor appointment is the obvious one, being that the agreed party wall surveyor will act impartially and neutrally on behalf of both the building owner and adjoining owner.
A key difference between a two party wall surveyor appointment and an agreed party wall surveyor appointment, is that the selection of a third party wall surveyor will apply when it is a conventional two surveyor appointment.
A third surveyor’s role is to resolve any dispute that can arise between the building owner, adjoining owner, building owner’s party wall surveyor, or adjoining owner’s party wall surveyor.
However, if an agreed party wall surveyor appointment is made, there obviously is not going to be a third surveyor.
This is one of the key distinctions between the two different types of party wall surveyor appointments. Therefore, our advice here at Stokemont, would be that if there is indeed the scenario whereby the building owner or adjoining owner would like to potentially have a third surveyor in place, then an agreed party wall surveyor appointment would not be suitable or best placed in that regard.
Agreed party wall surveyor appointments also have the benefit of both time and cost efficiency for the building owner. Time efficiencies in that the agreed party wall surveyor’s input will be very much restricted to their own. Whereby, they will not need to agree any matters pertaining to the administration of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 with a counterpart party wall surveyor.
This effectively means that the party wall procedures can be progressed swiftly, smoothly and often in a much more time effective manner.
Another benefit, is the cost saving that a building owner will make in progressing with an agreed party wall surveyor appointment.
In having a single party wall surveyor act for both the building owner and adjoining owner, the building owner will only be paying one party wall surveyor’s fees. This is in comparison to a two surveyor appointment where the building owner is legally responsible for both their own party wall surveyors fees and their neighbour, the adjoining owner’s party wall surveyor’s fees.
This is a relatively large cost saving for a building owner, as in many cases adjoining owner’s party wall surveyor’s fees tend to be anywhere from the £700 mark up to the £2,000 mark, depending on the overall works that are taking place.
Our take on agreed party wall surveyor appointments here at Stokemont is that, in the event of issue or damage, the adjoining owner is also going to be far better placed with an agreed party wall surveyor. Owing to the fact that the agreed party wall surveyor is going to be able to offer the same time efficiencies that he would have been able to offer the building owner in the run up to the Party Wall Award agreement.
In effect, when damage does occur, the adjoining owner will only need to inform the agreed party wall surveyor who will then deal with it as opposed to the party wall surveyor then having to agree and determine the matter with his counterpart, the building owner’s party wall surveyor.
Agreed party wall surveyor appointments are an incredibly normal and conventional procedure. However, that being said there are often scenarios whereby adjoining owners may feel as though it is difficult for a single professional to act impartially and neutrally on behalf of both prospective owners. More so, considering that the building owner is indeed footing the agreed party wall surveyor’s fee, invoice, or bill.
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 requires party wall surveyors to act impartially. This is the same requirement irrespective of whether they are acting as a building owner’s party wall surveyor, an adjoining owner’s party wall surveyor, or an agreed party wall surveyor.
The best way we would describe and explain this here at Stokemont, is that the party wall surveyor will very much be bound by the wording of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Along with the overall construction works taking place and type of property they are taking place too.
Party wall surveyors realistically therefore act on behalf of the properties as opposed to the property owners. With this in mind, they are going to administer the party wall surveying procedures and Party Wall etc. Act 1996 in the same manner irrespective of whether they are a single agreed party wall surveyor, or acting on behalf of one of the respective owners.
If you would like to discuss party wall surveying procedures with our team of qualified and experienced party wall surveyors here at Stokemont, please feel free to give us a call today and we would be more than happy to assist and advise you.
We are also very pleased and proud to offer 30 minutes free no strings advice to all enquirers.
All you need to do to take us up on this is give us a call, get in touch with us via our contact page and we will be more than happy to advise and inform you accordingly.
