Party Walls
Gemstock are commercial building surveyors specialising in dilapidations and building surveying services in the South West.
Party Wall Specialist Surveyor
- Do I need to serve a party wall notice on a neighbour for the building works I wish to undertake?
- Are you a building owner who needs to serve appropriate notice(s) of intended building works on a neighbour under The Party Wall etc. Act 1996?
- Have you just received a party wall notice outlining intended building works affecting your property from your neighbour or a surveyor acting on their behalf?
- Has your neighbour’s building contractors started building works and you are worried about the effect they may have on your property?
Gemstock are here to help… We provide party wall services from our base in Plymouth covering the South West.
Get in touch now for a no obligation initial discussion of how we can help with your party wall matter.
Party Wall Services
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 provides a framework for preventing and resolving disputes in relation to party walls, boundary walls and excavations near neighbouring buildings.
A building owner proposing to start work covered by the Act must give adjoining owners notice of their intentions in the way set down in the Act.
Notices are needed for:
- Section 1 notice: For building works along or astride the boundary line of junction.
- Section 3 notice: For building works to a party wall, a party structure or a party fence wall or affected wall of an adjoining owner.
- Section 6 notice: For excavation within 3m and deeper than adjoining owners building or structure (or if within distance of 6m when exceeding a 45-degree angle from base of adjoining building or structure).
Adjoining owners can agree or disagree with what is proposed. Where they disagree, the Act provides a mechanism for resolving disputes.
The Act is separate from obtaining planning permission or building regulations approval.
Gemstock are experienced in acting for either the building owner or adjoining owner or as the ‘agreed surveyor’ under The Party Wall etc Act 1996. Normally a Party Wall Award (PWA) will be drawn up prior to works commencing. The PWA will include a schedule of condition to record the structure and finishes before construction work starts. The condition can then be checked if any damage is known or thought to have arisen and if necessary appropriate works or damages can be determined by the party wall surveyor specialist(s).
Frequently Asked Questions
Party wall services are necessary for several reasons, primarily related to legal, safety, and neighbourly considerations when undertaking building work that might affect shared or adjacent structures. Here are the key reasons why you might need party wall services:
- Statutory/legal requirements
- Time effective method leaving complicated procedure in safe hands of experienced practitioner
- Enabling building owners’ rights to undertake construction
- Affording adjoining owners’ rights of protection and/or mitigating against unnecessary inconvenience and / or compensation issues in certain circumstances
- Dispute resolution mechanisms built into party wall awards
- Professional advice prevents problems
Party wall services and proper procedures are essential for ensuring legal compliance, protecting properties, and managing risks and resolving disputes effectively before, during, or after construction projects that affect shared buildings or are close to adjacent buildings and/or structures.
Here are the key reasons why you might need party wall services:
- Preliminary party wall advice to understand possibilities and potential problems and/or solutions to party wall matters prior to designing building alterations.
- To serve or respond to party wall notice(s) for building astride or up to the line of junction (boundary).
- To serve or respond to party wall notice(s) for building an extension or structural alteration that affects the party wall or structure.
- To serve or respond to party wall notice(s) for demolishing and rebuilding a party wall or structure.
- To serve or respond to notice(s) for carrying out loft conversions that involve cutting into the party wall.
- To serve or respond to party wall notice(s) for tasks like cutting into or cutting away from the party wall or structure.
- To serve or respond to party wall notice(s) for excavating near a neighbouring building or structure
- Party wall advice to understand and appropriately deal with party wall notice(s) just received from your neighbour or a surveyor acting on their behalf.
- Party wall advice to understand and appropriately deal with your neighbours building works that have just started if of concern to you especially if the works have commenced without any prior notice.
Party Wall Services
Our aim is to help building owners and neighbours navigate party wall legislation and issues made necessary by the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Gemstock are members of the Pyramus and Thisbe Society which is a society for professionals with a particular interest in matters relating to The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 and solving party wall and related neighbour issues.
Some of the related Gemstock services that may be required in relation to party wall works include:
Building defects need to be recorded before neighbouring building works and / or party wall work starts and checked afterwards.
These are an intrinsic part of party wall agreements and are written documents recording the condition of the relevant parts of the adjoining owners property prior to building works being undertaken and serve as a reference if any damage arises at later date. If damage does occur the remedies are either for appropriate works to be undertaken to restore the condition or damages in lieu.
General or specific advice on particular issues of The Party Wall etc Act 1996 and how they affect your particular property or circumstance.
Richard Wood, Party Wall Surveyor
Richard Wood MRICS is a member of both the RICS and The Pyramus & Thisbe Society, with a particular interest related to party wall matters.
Richard has been a qualified surveyor since 1986 and has considerable experience dealing with party wall matters since then – initially dealing with party wall matters covered by The London Building Acts (Amendment) Act 1939 and since 1996 dealing with matters under The Party Wall etc Act 1996 which extended the legislation and procedures to the whole of England and Wales.
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Contact our Party Wall Specialist today…
Richard Wood MRICS
18 Kingfisher Way, Plymouth, PL9 7RU
01752 492656
info@gemstock.co.uk
Fill out the contact form below and our party walls specialist will get back in touch within 24 hours to discuss your requirements.
Client Testimonials
“Thanks Richard, it’s been a pleasure working with you and I too am pleased with the result. Should any similar work arise, I’ll certainly recommend your services.”
Computing client
Industrial unit occupier
“Richard was fantastic from tender to completion. Easy and slick process, and very detailed Schedule Of Conditions produced. Would use again!”
Daniel Heath, Facilities Lead
Five Rivers Child Care