RICS Party Wall Surveyors London
When carrying out works under the Party Wall etc. Act in London, property owners and developers need to appoint a RICS-chartered party wall surveyor with the expertise to protect their interests. At Murrins, all of our party wall surveyors are chartered members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), ensuring the highest professional standards across every stage of the party wall process, from serving notices and drafting agreements to resolving disputes efficiently and fairly.
As a firm of RICS party wall surveyors, we have acted on projects throughout London ranging from small residential alterations, such as inserting new beams or joists, to multi-million-pound commercial developments involving dozens of adjoining owners.
We act with the same professionalism and impartiality on every appointment, ensuring that our clients receive clear, practical advice at all stages and that their interests are effectively safeguarded in accordance with the Act.
Why choose RICS Party Wall Surveyors in London?
Appointing a RICS party wall surveyor for your project in London ensures that you are engaging with someone that meets the high standards expected by RICS and who has the necessary technical knowledge and experience to safeguard your interested. At Murrins, we are:
- Proactive – We act promptly to serve party wall notices and respond to enquiries, ensuring the works are not unduly delayed.
- Meticulous – We meticulously prepare detailed schedules of condition, and carefully scrutinise proposals to ensure our appointing owners’ interests are safeguarded.
- Experienced – Our RICS party wall surveyors have undertaken hundreds of party wall projects, and agreed hundreds of party wall awards. This allows us to identify early what additional information may be required to ensure a smooth party wall process.
Party Wall Surveyor Costs
We offer clear and transparent party wall surveyor fees that ensures clarity for our all appointing owners.
Service | Fees |
|---|---|
Party Wall Notices Review project drawings and prepare and serve party wall notices to adjoining owners, including managing the party wall notice responses. | From £160 per adjoining owner |
Schedules of Condition Photographic and written schedule of condition reports that capture the condition of a property before the works start. | £395 – £695 per schedule of condition |
Party Wall Award Agree a legally binding party wall award either independently as Agreed Surveyor, or with the adjoining owner’s surveyor. | £555 – £995 per party wall award |
Do I need party wall notices?
With 75% of the homes in London consisting of either terraced / semi-detached houses, or flats, the Party Wall Act applies to a majority of construction work in the city.
Party wall notices may be required if you are:
- Excavating within 3m, or 6m for piled foundations.
- Carrying out works to a shared wall or structure.
- Building a new wall at the boundary with another property.
Type of work | Likelihood Party Wall Act applies |
|---|---|
Loft conversion | High – If the loft conversion is taking place in a terraced or semi-detached house, the likelihood of need to serve party wall notices is high. |
Rear extension | Medium – High – If your extension is built within 3m of an adjoining property, or you plan to build up to the boundary line, you will likely need to serve party wall notices. |
Basement extension | Very High – Excavating to form a new basement typically involves deep excavations and underpinning. It is very likely the Party Wall Act applies. |
Internal alterations | Medium – This depends on the nature of the alterations, however if you intend to insert new beams, joists, or excavate to form foundations, the Act will likely apply. |
Our RICS Party Wall Surveyor Services in London
We provide a full complement of party wall surveyor services to property owners and developers across London.
Party Wall Notices
Previously known as a Building Survey, or Full Structural Survey, Our Level 3 Building Surveys provide in-depth analysis of a property’s condition, highlighting defects, repair priorities and long-term maintenance considerations.
Schedules of Condition
Sometimes called a Homebuyer Report, and ideal for conventionally built properties in reasonable condition, our RICS Home Survey Level 2 Reports identify significant issues and provide clear, practical advice for buyers.
Party Wall Awards (Agreements)
Unlike a RICS Home Survey that inspects the entire property, our specific defect reports are ideal for those with a particular defect at their property and who require a detailed, independent assessment.
RICS Party Wall Surveyors FAQs
Find out answers to some of the most commonly asked party wall surveyor questions.
A RICS party wall surveyor is a surveyor regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and required to meet strict standards of professionalism, technical competence, and impartiality. While anyone can describe themselves as a party wall surveyor, only surveyors with proven experience and a high level of technical and legal knowledge are able to safeguard their appointing owners' interests to the highest professional standard.
Appointing a RICS-regulated party wall surveyor provides reassurance that your surveyor is qualified, accountable, and working in accordance with established professional and ethical requirements.
Murrins is a RICS-regulated firm, and all of our party wall surveyors adhere to the high standards expected by the profession.
If you intend to carry out works to your property, the Party Wall etc. Act defines you as the Building Owner. As a Building Owner, you have a statutory duty to serve written party wall notices on all neighbouring owners who may be affected by the proposed works.
The Party Wall Act applied when the works fall into one or more of the following categories:
Constructing new walls on or astride the boundary line with a neighbouring property
Excavating near an adjoining structure, where the excavation falls within the distances set out in the Act
Carrying out works to a shared party wall or structure, such as inserting steel beams, cutting into the wall, or removing a chimney breast
If your proposed works fall within any of these categories, you will normally be required to serve party wall notices on the affected neighbouring owners.
If you are unsure whether your works are notifiable under the Party Wall Act, we have included a table further down this page setting out the most common notifiable works.
Alternatively, you are welcome to contact our RICS Chartered Party Wall Surveyors for free initial advice to confirm whether the Act applies to your project.
If your neighbour consents to a party wall notice, there is no legal requirement for you to appoint a RICS party wall surveyor. However, it is strongly recommended that a surveyor is instructed to prepare a schedule of condition of the adjoining property.
A schedule of condition is a detailed written and photographic record of the property’s condition before works commence. It provides protection for both owners by establishing an objective record of the property’s state prior to the works being carried out.
Without a schedule of condition in place, it can be extremely difficult, and in some cases impossible, to demonstrate whether any alleged damage was caused by the works. This can leave the Building Owner exposed to claims for damage that may not have been attributable to their project.
If your property is damaged as a result of your neighbour’s construction works, there are two common methods of resolution under the Party Wall process.
The first option is for the Building Owner to arrange for their contractor to make good the damage to the affected areas. Alternatively, if you do not wish for your neighbour’s contractor to carry out the repairs, you may obtain two or three quotations from independent contractors, and the Building Owner will make a financial payment in lieu of reinstatement.
Where there is any dispute regarding responsibility for the damage or the appropriate method of resolution, the appointed party wall surveyor(s) will determine the matter. Their decision will be based on the nature of the works carried out and the schedule of condition prepared prior to the commencement of works.
Unfortunately, construction works are inherently noisy at times, and it is not always possible to eliminate disturbance entirely. However, Section 7 of the Party Wall etc. Act places a clear duty on the Building Owner to carry out works without causing unnecessary inconvenience to adjoining owners.
If the noise generated by the works is excessive, avoidable, or deliberately disruptive, the Building Owner may be in breach of the Act. Where this results in a demonstrable or quantifiable loss, for example, where you are unable to work from home as normal or your business loses trade, you may be entitled to seek compensation.
In practice, measures to limit noise and disruption are often incorporated into a party wall award. These may include restrictions on particularly disruptive methods, such as the use of powered percussion tools on the party wall, as well as the imposition of specific working hours for noisy operations. Unless there is a justifiable reason, these hours will usually align with the local authority’s permitted construction working hours.
A party wall award therefore provides a practical framework to balance the Building Owner’s right to carry out works with the Adjoining Owner’s right to reasonable enjoyment of their property.
Party Wall Surveyor Reviews
What is the party wall process & how long does it take?
The Party Wall Act outlines the framework, processes, and timescales for dealing with party wall matters. The timeline below gives an outline of the critical party wall process.
1. Service of Notices
It is a requirement of the Act that the Building Owner serves compliant party wall notices on affected Adjoining Owners. Due to the complexity of identifying all notifiable work correctly, party wall surveyors are usually appointed to prepare and serve the notices, however anyone can serve the notice. Notice periods are 2 months for party structure works, and 1 month of line of junction and adjacent excavation works.
2. Response to notice
- Consent: In this case the works can proceed and nothing further is required under the Act. With that said, it is still advisable to have a schedule of condition undertaken of their property.
- Dissent and appoint their own surveyor: In this case both the Building Owner's and Adjoining Owner's surveyors will act together to agree a party wall award. The surveyors must act impartially, despite being appointed by an individual owner. The notifiable works cannot start until the award have been served on the owners by the surveyors.
- Dissent and agree to share a single agreed surveyor: In this case a single 'Agreed Surveyor' will act impartially on behalf of both the owners to prepare a party wall award. This option is recommended only where the works are of a relatively simple nature.
3. Schedule of Condition
4. Party Wall Award
Once the surveyor(s) has agreed the content of the award, they will sign it, and it will then be served on the owners. If they have any problem with the content of the award, they can appeal it in the County Court within 14 days, after which point the award becomes legally binding on both parties.
Subject to there being no contests in the County Court, the Building Owner can start the works covered in the award.
Want to know more about RICS Party Wall Surveying?
RICS has produced consumer guidance covering the Party Wall etc. Act. The guidance is written in layman’s terms and gives an overview of the rights and obligation of the Party Wall Act. Click on the button below to view the guidance.
Get in touch with our RICS Party Wall Surveyors in London
Need a RICS party wall surveyor, or need expert party wall advice? Get in touch with our friendly, professional team.
