Thank you for clicking on today’s Stokemont Property Blog post. We are going to be looking at party wall procedures and the scenarios that surround the appointment of party wall surveyors.
The party wall surveyor plays an important role in choosing the best possible results for a dispute. Both the building owner and the adjoining owner will need a party wall surveyor. Party wall surveyors are key in the act’s procedures.
Who is a Party Wall Surveyor?
In the actual act itself, under section 20, the definition for a surveyor is given to be any person who is not part of the matter currently in hand, but has been appointed specifically to manage any disputes that come under the act.
Here at Stokemont, we’d advise taking a very careful approach when selecting a party wall surveyor.
Ultimately, this does mean that you don’t need any particular training or experience to be a party wall surveyor.
However, as a lot of the building works that take place require construction and complex excavation processes, a surveyor is often a chartered building professional.
Therefore, searching for a part of a specialist usually boils down to looking for a registered professional, as a minimum requirement.
The Difference Between Qualified and Unqualified
So obviously, there is a difference between a chartered and unqualified surveyor. Becoming a chartered surveyor takes several years to complete.
In selecting a chartered surveyor to act as the party wall surveyor, it guarantees that the surveyor meets the highest standards of knowledge and professionalism required for the task.
Contrastingly, there is no evidence to suggest that an uncharted and unqualified surveyor has any training at all.
Whilst it is true that some membership organisations do have training courses that people can take, this is not a comparison to the process involved in becoming a chartered surveyor.
There is also very little indication of experience in dispute resolution or even a basic understanding of construction knowledge
What to Look For in a Party Wall Award
The thing that you probably need to know about a party wall award is that it is never just a preset solution.
It’s always done on a case-by-case basis. This is because there are often so many different variables that it’s hard to provide a general solution that can just be applied to a situation.
Generally speaking, you will want to make sure that there is a detailed set of drawings and a method statement included with the surveyor. This outlines how the work will be undertaken. Given that surveyors will determine the timescale and manner of work being carried out, this is vital when choosing a professional. The precise detail and volume of documentation required will vary from one situation to the next, so it’s important to hire a professional who can do everything. Therefore, it’s necessary to find a surveyor who also has a broad understanding of the content of the documents, as well as the situation at hand.
How to Identify Damages Caused by Works
When it comes to choosing a surveyor, another important component of the process is being able to create a schedule of condition.
This is not something which is a strict requirement as such, but nowadays has become almost mandatory. Basically, this details the condition of the adjoining owner’s property identifies what damages were done during the works and what damages were already in place.
The system and report is in place to prevent the unnecessary inclusion of the courts.
Whilst it is true that it’s very rare to have massive damage done by party wall work, it’s not impossible. There are plenty of situations where the damage that has been done is quite substantial, and there has to be a proper way to evidence that the party wall work is the resulting cause.
Thinking about this specifically, it’s therefore important to hire recognised professionals to carry out the survey at work. Naturally, you are going to want to make sure that you get the best results, and you can’t do that without reliable professionals.
Final Thoughts
Finding the right kind of professional for you can be difficult. It often takes time, and requires you to look at all the different options that are available to pick the best results. At the end of the day, you have a responsibility to pick and choose the best possible surveyor for your specific needs.
Generally speaking, you will want to hire your own surveyor independent of the building owner, because that is standard practice, but in the event you can agree on a single surveyor for the two of you, you’ll save money in the long run.
If you would like to discuss your party wall surveying requirements with our team of surveyors, give us a call today, we will be more than happy to advise.
