If your work touches a shared wall, digs close to a neighbour’s foundations, or changes a party structure, start by being able to describe the job in plain, exact terms. Say whether you are building on a boundary, removing a chimney, underpinning, excavating for a basement, or converting a loft. These are different jobs. The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies to specific kinds of works and whether it applies to you depends on the details. Draw a sketch, note measurements, list the sequence of contractor tasks and the expected start date. If you cannot explain your own project clearly, you will waste time and attract bad advice.
What a surveyor actually does
A surveyor does more than fill in forms. They decide whether notices must be served. They prepare those notices correctly. If the neighbour dissents, they will prepare an Award that governs how the work proceeds. The Award sets protection measures, access arrangements, and how suspected damage will be handled. A proper schedule of condition must be produced before work starts. This is not a handful of photos on a phone. It should be dated images, exact descriptions, and measured references that can be used as evidence later. If the schedule of condition is sloppy it will not protect you when a disagreement appears.
Be precise before you call anyone
Hand over useful documents. If you have planning drawings, working drawings or even rough sketches, give them to the surveyor. Tell them whether the building will be occupied during works and whether contractors need continuous access to the neighbour’s property for scaffolding or services. These facts change whether the Act applies and what protections are necessary. If a surveyor gives only a phone opinion, get written confirmation. Verbal yes or no is not enough when statutory rights and neighbour relationships are involved.
The schedule of condition must be forensic
Ask what the schedule will include and insist on an anonymised example. A good record names specific defects, measures them and locates them precisely. It shows surfaces in relation to fixed points and includes photographic metadata where possible. It records finishes, windows, doors and any existing cracks or damp in language a court could use. A record saying "no visible defects" is worthless. A record saying "vertical crack 12 mm wide, from window sill to cornice, 0.9 m from north-east corner" is useful. Also confirm who signs the record and who holds the originals. Ask what happens if the neighbour refuses access and how the surveyor will gather evidence in that case.
Qualifications, membership and insurance matter
Membership of a professional body shows a commitment to standards and continuing training. Insurance is not optional. Request proof of professional indemnity insurance and public liability insurance right away. If they cannot produce these documents quickly, stop the conversation. Insurance protects you if their advice is negligent or their failure causes loss. Ask for examples of similar projects and what went wrong on those jobs. Basement and underpinning work carries different risks from loft conversions or flat-to-flat work. Pick someone who has recent, demonstrable experience with the exact type of work you are planning.
Who will actually do the work
Be clear about who attends site visits and who signs the Award. Many practices send junior staff or trainees for routine visits while a senior surveyor signs the final documents. That can be acceptable, but you must know who does what. If a trainee conducts inspections ask how supervision works and how frequently a senior reviews the records. If the surveyor cannot answer who prepares the schedule of condition and who will be your point of contact, treat that as a red flag.
Fees and what they really cover
Fees vary because the work varies. A straightforward single extension often has a fixed fee covering notice, schedule of condition and the Award. Complex jobs such as basements, underpinning or projects affecting several neighbours will cost more because the risk and the likely time involvement are higher. Demand a written estimate showing what is included and what is excluded. That estimate should say how many visits are part of the fee, whether instructing a structural engineer is included, and how disbursements are handled. Know who pays if the neighbour dissents and two surveyors or a third surveyor are required. A low headline fee with vague exclusions is a trap and usually ends with a larger bill. Do not choose purely on price.
Communication and realistic timelines
A competent surveyor gives realistic timeframes and explains the statutory stages. Notices carry statutory response periods and these cannot be shortened. If the neighbour dissents, appointing surveyors and, where necessary, a third surveyor will extend the timetable. Ask the surveyor how they will keep you updated and insist on written records at agreed stages. If their idea of communication is "I will keep you informed" without specifying frequency or format, push for specifics. Written records at key points reduce uncertainty and create a factual trail.
How disputes proceed and what that means for time and cost
Expect objections. Neighbours can object due to worries about damage, loss of light, noise or access. When a dispute starts the process becomes formal. Either both parties agree a single surveyor or each appoints one. If the two appointed surveyors cannot agree, a third surveyor is selected and their decision is final. This protects both sides but adds time and cost. The surveyors’ role is not to block work but to set balanced, evidence-based terms so the work can proceed lawfully. Good surveyors use evidence and careful reasoning. Poor surveyors react emotionally or promise outcomes they cannot deliver. Evidence-based records keep the scale and cost of disputes down.
Practical warning signs
Walk away or probe hard if the surveyor cannot show recent examples of party wall work, cannot produce insurance documentation on request, gives a vague fee quote with unclear exclusions, uses heavy jargon without plain answers, or promises guaranteed results instead of explaining risks and likely scenarios. A surveyor cannot control a neighbour’s behaviour. They can only prepare robust notices and records and set out realistic steps to manage risk.
Engagement letter and your protection
Insist on an engagement letter before any work starts. The letter should state who will perform the work, what is included, the fee, expected timescales and how additional services are charged. It should confirm who prepares and stores the schedule of condition and in what format. Insist on receiving copies of all notices and the final Award. That engagement letter is your protection, not a handshake.
Small operational details that matter
Ask whether the surveyor will meet the neighbour in person before serving notices because a calm factual conversation often prevents formal disagreement. Ask who inspects during the works and how many inspections are included. Ask how access will be managed if a neighbour refuses reasonable access. These points determine whether problems are solved quickly or allowed to escalate into formal disputes and extra expense.
Where to look for further help
If you want practical resources and contact options, see https://jason-edworthy.co.uk/
for further guidance. Choosing the right party wall surveyor is a decision about risk on site, protection of property and control of cost and delay. Think deep and longer about this choice. The right appointment will save time and money. The wrong one will turn a small job into a prolonged legal and financial problem.
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