What is a Party Wall Agreement or Party Wall Award?

A Party Wall Agreement, also known as a Party Wall Award, is a legally binding document prepared by party wall surveyors under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. It sets out in detail how notifiable works are to be carried out, including the scope of works, method, timings and working hours, access arrangements, protection measures, rights to compensation for damage and any special conditions that must be followed by both owners.

When do I need a Party Wall Award?

You need a Party Wall Award when a valid Party Wall Notice has been served and an adjoining owner dissents or simply does not respond within the statutory timeframe. That dissent triggers the dispute-resolution procedure in the Act, requiring the appointment of one or more surveyors to prepare a Party Wall Award before notifiable works such as extensions, loft conversions, basements or excavations close to neighbouring foundations can lawfully proceed.

What types of work usually lead to a Party Wall Award?

Typical works that may require a Party Wall Award include digging new foundations within 3 metres of an adjoining building, erecting new walls on or up to the boundary line, and building activities that directly affect a shared wall or structure, such as inserting beams, cutting into a party wall, reinforcing foundations or removing a chimney breast. Westville Associates will review your drawings and confirm whether your specific project falls under the Act.

Can my neighbour refuse to agree to a Party Wall Award?

A neighbour can refuse to consent to the proposed works, but they cannot simply block lawful work. If they dissent or fail to respond to a Party Wall Notice, surveyors are appointed and a Party Wall Award is produced. Once the Award has been agreed and served, both parties must follow its terms. Any objections to the contents must be dealt with by appeal to the County Court within 14 days of service, after which the Award becomes binding.

What happens if I do not agree with the Party Wall Award?

If you do not agree with the content of a Party Wall Award, you have 14 days from the date it is served to lodge an appeal at the County Court. The court can uphold, vary or set aside the Award. If no appeal is made within that period, the Award is binding on both the building owner and the adjoining owner and must be complied with, otherwise further legal action such as an injunction or claim for damages may follow.

How long does it take to get a Party Wall Award?

Timescales vary with each project, but once surveyors are appointed, Westville Associates indicates that Party Wall Awards are often agreed within around three to six weeks in straightforward cases. Overall, the full party wall process includes notice periods, neighbour responses, Schedule of Condition inspections and preparation of the Award, so it is important to start early to avoid delaying your build.

Who pays for the Party Wall Award?

In most situations, the building owner who is carrying out the notifiable works pays the reasonable fees of the party wall surveyor or surveyors and the cost of preparing the Party Wall Award, because they are the party benefitting from the project. In some circumstances, the Award may provide for cost-sharing where works are of shared benefit. Your surveyor will explain how fees are likely to be allocated in your specific case.

Can I start building work before a Party Wall Award is in place?

No. Where a Party Wall Award is required, notifiable works should not begin until the Award has been agreed, signed and properly served on both owners. Starting work too early can lead to injunctions, delays and additional costs. Westville Associates will guide you on when it is safe to proceed so that your project remains compliant with the Party Wall Act.

How can Westville Associates help with Party Wall Awards?

Westville Associates can act as the agreed surveyor for both owners or as your appointed surveyor if each party chooses their own. The team will review your plans, serve or respond to Party Wall Notices, prepare detailed Schedules of Condition, draft and agree the Party Wall Award and remain available to advise on any issues during or after the works. A free, no-obligation 15-minute consultation is offered to explain the process and likely timescales before you commit.

Party Wall Awards in Surrey and London

Party Wall Award Surveyors
If your neighbour has dissented to a Party Wall Notice, or not responded, a Party Wall Award may be needed before works can begin.

Westville Associates can guide you through the process, prepare the required documentation and help keep your project moving legally and professionally.

Our Surrey and London Party Wall Surveyors support building owners and adjoining owners with clear advice, Schedule of Condition reports and legally binding Awards.

What Is a Party Wall Award?

When Is a Party Wall Award Required?
Planning a home extension, loft conversion or a basement extension? Or perhaps you’re doing maintenance work that involves construction or changes near or around a party wall?

Then, you’ll likely need our help to serve a Party Wall Notice – which our surveyors have done hundreds of times for properties in Surrey and SW London.

Building owners have a statutory duty to serve written Party Wall Notices to all affected neighbours.

To ensure your works comply with the Party Wall Act, we provide a full party wall surveying service, including Party Wall Notices, meticulous Schedules of Condition and Party Wall Awards.

Our party wall surveying is offered on a fixed-fee basis, with the work carried out on behalf of the building owner.

Discuss your project with us today for free to see how we can help. See Party Wall Award Costs.

What Is A Party Wall Agreement?

A Party Wall Agreement is a legally binding document prepared by party wall surveyors, which will outline and including details of party wall works, timelines and when they will take place. It will also notice any details to rights to compensation that may be awarded under the Act as a result of any damage caused by works.

When Do I Need A Party Wall Agreement?

A Party Wall Agreement is required when you have served a notice to your neighbour and they dissent (ignoring the notice is also deemed as dissent). This, then, triggers a process set out in the Act which requires each party to appoint a surveyor, who will prepare a party wall agreement.

You’ll need to notify adjoining owners of works falling under the Party Wall Act, which include:

Digging within 3 meters of an adjacent building.
Erecting new walls on the boundary with a neighbouring property.
Building activities directly affecting a shared wall or structure, such as foundation reinforcement, beam insertion, or chimney breast removal.

Can a Neighbour Refuse a Party Wall Agreement?

A neighbour can refuse a Party Wall Agreement. When the Notice is issued, your neighbours have 14 days to respond. Failure to respond is also considered as dissent and an Agreement will need to be drawn up.

What If You Don't Agree With The Agreement?

As Party Wall Agreements are legally binding documents, both parties must follow the instructions submitted. Failing to do so can lead to injunctions, or legal proceedings.

If you do not agree to the contents outlined in the agreement, then it can be appealed to the County Court within the first 14 days after it is served. Following this period is it binding on both parties.

Arrange a Free Consultation

It’s 100% recommended to serve a Party Wall Notice. Consult with our qualified surveyors and to determine whether any planned construction on a neighbouring wall or property requires an agreement.

Failing to obtain the necessary agreements often leads to disputes and legal issues with your neighbours that can result in delays and additional costs before you even get started.

See our Party Wall Resources for links to other Party Wall websites of interest.

Party Wall Dispute Resolution

Once you’ve given notice, your neighbours have 14 days to do the following three options:

Give consent in writing
Refuse consent (initialising a dispute resolution process)
Serve a counter notice (served within one month of initial notice)

Neighbours must respond to the notice. Building Owners should not assume that no response translates as an agreement of works. If there is no response, the dispute resolution process is unavoidable.

If you are planning to carry out works to the property, you’ll be responsible for paying for the work. In some cases, your neighbour can share the cost if the works are a result of defects or a lack of repair.

Appointed surveyors can outlined who pays if you don’t agree.

What Does a Party Wall Award Include?

The processes, framework and timescales for dealing with party wall matters.

Time required: 1 - 2 Days

Service of Notices

The Act requires that the Building Owner serve a compliant Party Wall Notice to the affected Adjoining Owners. Party wall surveyors will prepare and serve the notices, where the notice period is typically 2 months for the party structure works and 1 month for a line of the junction and adjacent excavation works.

Time required: 14 - 24 Days

Response to Notice

Once the neighbour/adjoining owner receives the notice they have 14 days to respond. The three options to respond are:

Consent: Works proceed and another further is required. Although a Schedule of Condition is still recommended to avoid problems in the future.
Dissent: In this instance, the adjoining owner often appoints their own surveyor, and we will both act together to agree on a Party Wall Award. Both surveyors acting impartially, will work together to serve the award so notifiable works can begin. In other instances, the adjoining owner can dissent but agree to share a single surveyor, where the 'Agreed Surveyor' again acts impartially on behalf of both owners to prepare the Party Wall Award (which is more common in relatively simple works).

If the adjoining owner does not respond after 14 days, they have been deemed to automatically dissent. This means a letter will be sent, giving them 10 days to appoint a surveyor before you appoint one on their behalf.

Time required: 5 - 10 days following notice response

Schedule of Condition

Once all surveyors have been appointed, we will undertake a Schedule of Condition of the adjoining property, which will record the property's condition before works start and protect you in the event of any damage occurring. Clear written and photographic records are taken.

Time required: Typically 3 - 6 weeks

Party Wall Award

Appointed surveyors will prepare a Party Wall Award, stipulating the timings and manner in which the notifiable works must take place.

Once the content of the award has been agreed upon, the surveyor(s) will sign it and serve it to both owners. If there are any problems with the content, it can be appealed to the County Court within 14 days, after which the award becomes legally binding for both parties.

Subject to no contests, the building owner can start works covered in the award.

Quick Links

Quick Summary

Party Wall Awards are formal legal documents drawn up by surveyors when building owners and adjoining owners cannot agree.

They outline rights and responsibilities, including timing, access, noise control, and cost-sharing in compliance with the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.

Once signed, Awards are binding, help prevent disputes, and provide clarity on how work should proceed safely and legally.

Party Wall Process

Party Wall Notices

Schedule of Condition

Party Wall Surveyors Quick Links

Key TakeAways

Offer: We prepare Party Wall Awards (agreements) and deliver a fixed-fee party wall service including notices, schedules of condition and awards when a dispute arises under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
Scope: We cover notifiable works such as excavations within 3m, new walls at the boundary, and works to a shared wall/structure (e.g., beam insertion, chimney breast removal, foundation work), setting out rights, timings and any compensation provisions.
Process: We serve notices (typically 1–2 days), manage the 14-day neighbour response (no response = dissent), complete the schedule of condition, then agree/serve the award (typically 3–6 weeks, with a 14-day appeal window before it becomes binding).
Areas: We provide this service in Surrey and SW London.

ChatGPT summary.