Hire a party wall surveyor before any dispute arises regarding party walls

A party wall award or a party wall agreement is a document prepared by a party wall surveyor. This document states the responsibilities of the property owner regarding the work to be carried out. It also states how the work should be carried out, working hours and how to assess any damage caused.

The surveyor is a person who is not involved in the construction works, as defined in the Party Wall Act. The owner cannot act for themselves although anyone else is allowed to act as a party wall surveyor. The architect or the surveyor or any other person carrying out the construction work on behalf of the owner can also act as a party wall surveyor.

The person acting as a party wall surveyor should have knowledge about construction and must be well aware of party wall procedures. The building surveyors and structural engineers are ideal and they also have a relevant qualification. A document is jointly prepared by the party wall surveyors individually appointed by both the parties or the agreed surveyor appointed by the two owners after they agreed on a particular surveyor.

This document is known as a party wall award and sometimes called a party wall agreement. A party wall agreement Bristol determines the rights and responsibilities of the owner regarding how the work should be carried out. It also covers other aspects such as working hours, what needs to done in case of a damage, etc.

You have planned to carry out a construction work involving a structure or wall adjacent to your neighbour’s property and if you think that your neighbour would not agree to your proposal, then you must hire a party wall surveyor as early as possible. The procedure starts with serving a notice to your neighbour, although you can have an informal discussion with your neighbour about your plans before dropping a notice. This will help to deal matters smoothly and easily.


The preparation of a list of conditions regarding the property of the neighbour is the most time consuming but important task performed by the party wall surveyor. This must be done accurately so that any damage caused while working can be assessed properly. Sometimes two different surveyors are appointed by the two parties to prepare a party wall agreement Bristol. In such cases the list is prepared by the surveyor appointed by the property owner and proofed by the adjoining owner’s surveyor.

Once a surveyor is appointed by either owner or jointly by both the owners, then it is his duty to act entirely in an impartial manner. This part is difficult to digest for owners who want to fight their side of the argument. Also you cannot get rid of a party wall surveyor once he has been appointed. You can get rid of him only when he declares himself incapable of carrying out the duty or he dies.

The fees of the party wall surveyor is paid by the building owner under normal circumstances. It is difficult to tell exact figures, since the fees vary from surveyor to surveyor.
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