What Is a Party Wall Agreement? A Plain-English Guide
A party wall agreement (properly called an Award) is the legal document that lets building work go ahead next to a neighbour. Here's what it is, when you need one, and what it costs in 2026.
This guide is part of our party wall surveyors in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire & Berkshire hub — fixed fees, local coverage and a free 60-second eligibility check.
A party wall agreement is the written document that sets out how building work affecting a shared wall, shared structure or nearby foundations will be carried out — and how the neighbour's property is protected while it happens. Its proper legal name is a Party Wall Award, made under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
In plain English: it is the referee's rulebook for the job. It says what can be built, when work can happen, who pays for what, and what happens if something gets damaged.
What counts as a party wall?
Our free 60-second eligibility checker tells you which sections of the Act apply to your Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire & Berkshire project and the exact fixed fee — no obligation.
- A wall you share with the house next door (the classic terrace or semi party wall)
- A wall standing astride the boundary, even a garden wall
- A floor or ceiling between flats
- The ground near a neighbour's foundations, when you dig close to it
When do you need an agreement?
You need one when you plan notifiable work and the neighbour does not simply consent. The three common triggers are: 1. Cutting into or altering the shared wall — steels for a loft conversion, removing a chimney breast, raising the wall (Section 2). 2. Building a new wall on or at the boundary (Section 1). 3. Excavating within 3 metres of a neighbour's building to a depth below their foundations — which catches most rear extensions (Section 6).
How you get one — the three-step process
- Serve notice. You give the neighbour formal written notice: two months for work on a party structure, one month for excavation. They have 14 days to reply.
- Consent or dissent. If they consent in writing, no Award is needed and you can start. If they dissent — or say nothing — a dispute is "deemed" and surveyors are appointed.
- The Award is made. A surveyor (or one for each side) records the condition of the neighbour's property, sets working conditions and issues the Award. Work can then legally begin.
What the Award actually contains
- A description of the permitted work and how it must be done
- Working hours and access arrangements
- A dated photographic Schedule of Condition of the neighbour's property
- Who pays the surveyors' fees (normally the building owner)
- The right to inspect during works, and how damage is put right
Who pays?
The building owner — the person doing the work — pays. That includes the reasonable fees of the neighbour's surveyor. If you are the adjoining owner receiving a notice, your cost is normally £0. See who pays for a party wall surveyor.
What if you skip it?
Without an agreement you have no legal right to carry out notifiable work. A neighbour can seek an injunction to stop the job, and you carry the burden of proving you did not cause any damage. It is far cheaper to serve notice early.
Fixed 2026 fees
- First notice £50, each additional notice £30
- Agreed Surveyor (one surveyor acting for both) £650
- Full Party Wall Award (a surveyor each) £850
- Schedule of Condition £350 standalone, free with an Award
Check in 60 seconds
Put your postcode and your planned works into the eligibility checker. It tells you which sections of the Act apply, the notice period that fixes your earliest start date, and the all-in fee — before you speak to anyone. Related reading: do I need a party wall surveyor, agreed surveyor vs two surveyors and how long the process takes.
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