BISHOP'S STORTFORD
THE PARTY WALL PEOPLE
We are the right people to talk to if you need help with the Party Wall Etc. Act 1996 in the Bishop's Stortford area.
We can prepare and serve party wall notices your behalf, we can undertake schedules of condition and if required,
and serve party wall awards (party wall agreements).
Our rating on Google speaks to our professional, personal and expert service
​We have memberships with the Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors (FPWS) and the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE)
We have Public Liability and Professional Indemnity Insurances.
​The Party Wall People are located in Chelmsford, Essex and travel to client’s premises all over the southeast of England.
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If you have any questions about the party wall act, please feel free to contact us for a free, no obligation chat.
IS THE PARTY WALL AWARD NEEDED?
If your home extension in Bishop’s Stortford involves work covered by the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, you potentially need to obtain a Party Wall Award.
A party wall award is a legal document that outlines the agreed-upon rights and responsibilities of the property owners involved with and affected by the construction project.
Whether you need an award depends on the specific circumstances of your extension, such as whether it involves work on or near a shared wall, excavation close to a neighboring property, or other factors outlined in the Act. Consulting with a qualified surveyor can help you determine the applicable requirements for your particular situation.
We do not treat all projects the same, but we do deliver the same high standard of service to all those we work with. Contact us now
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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CAN I START WITHOUT A PARTY WALL AWARD?
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You can’t start any of the notifiable works without a consent from your neighbour or until a Party Wall Award has been served. However, you may be able to do some works related to the project which have been approved by planning approval for example. Lots of people serve the notices and even get an award in place before planning is approved to save time.
WHO WILL PAY THE FEES?
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Most of the time, the Surveyors fees are covered by the Building Owner. The cost of two different surveyors will usually be higher than that of an Agreed Surveyor. It is worth knowing that the time to agree the Party Wall Award might also be longer.
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CAN I JUST SERVE MY OWN PARTY WALL NOTICE?
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Yes, you are able to produce and serve your own notices… But if they are served incorrectly they are invalid, and you will need to start all over again which could delay the start of your project. Having this done early on by a Party Wall Surveyor will deal with this potential risk.
DO I NEED TO INFORM MY NEIGHBOUR IF I WANT TO PUT UP A SHELF OR MOVE AN ELECTRICAL SOCKET?​
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This sort of work would be considered to be minor and such works would not need to be notified under the Act.
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WHEN DO I NEED TO NOTIFY MY NEIGHBOURS?
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Timing is really important, so reviewing your project with a Party Wall Surveyor to run through your project and check if any elements will require serving notice removes stress from the project early on, allowing you to concentrate on the rest of the job. We would recommend getting in touch as soon as a planning application has been submitted, if you intend to begin works promptly.
​WHAT ARE THE RISKS IF I DON’T SERVE A NOTICE?
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It is illegal to begin any notifiable works without a notice. Your neighbour has the right to serve an injunction and stop the work.
If you have done some work which might hinder your neighbour’s ability to have a project of their own, without serving the correct notice, you will be liable to compensate for any remediation or damages caused under common law. You will have to cover the cost for undoing this work and any related design fees.
CAN THE ACT BE USED TO RESOLVE A BOUNDARY DISPUTE?
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No, The Act is not the tool to resolve boundary disputes and party wall surveyors have no powers to do so… The Act cannot be applied until a boundary dispute is resolved. In the case of a section 6 notice, which deals with excavations within a certain distance of the adjoining owner's property, the boundary location is irrelevant.