London’s building Owner’ Party Wall Specialists
Trusted Party Wall Surveyors
Work With Residential Building Owners From Within The Whole Of The M25 Area
London party wall surveyors
We are a client and solution focused party wall surveyor providing specialist building owner services throughout London.
Manwood Associates are residential party wall surveyors in London. If you need advice concerning the Party Wall Act 1996, we are here to help, effectively and efficiently. Professional and customer-focused, we have years of experience garnered from working on various party wall construction projects. With a team frequently updated on new legislation, we provide a comprehensive and qualified party wall service, acting on behalf of building owners.
When you are planning building works that will affect a party wall or are involved in a dispute with neighbours concerning the Party Wall Act, one of our surveyors can visit the site to help move things forward. Alternately, if you have received a Party Wall Notice or think your neighbours may be involved in this type of building work, do talk to us. Based in London, we work with residential building owners from within the whole of the M25 area.
Building Owner Specialists
We have carved ourselves out as building owners experts through decades of experience
London Residential Experts
We are highly experienced in all party wall issues facing London's residential market
Free Initial Consultation
We offer free consultations with our party wall experts on any issue related to party walls
Our party wall services
We are experienced and knowledgeable party wall surveyors in London. Our team deliver a full range of services for building owner party wall services (as opposed to the adjoining owner).
Our end-to-end solution encompasses free initial advice as well as preparation of any technical drawings. Proposals are prepared for each project and will provide you with a detailed cost breakdown. We can also look at alternative design ideas that may avoid the inclusion of the party wall.
Types Of Projects We Work On
We work on various types of building projects encompassed by the Party Wall Act. This includes construction along the building boundaries, excavating within a specific distance of a shared structure or altering a party structure. Examples of this type of work may include residential projects, loft conversions and basement extensions.
Residential
Notifiable residential works include cutting into walls between terraced houses, removal of chimney breasts, insertion of columns or new load-bearing walls, removal of floors/ceilings, insertion of a damp-proof course, excavating close to a neighbour’s property to build new foundations or constructing a new flank wall for an extension.
Loft Conversion
Works on loft conversions may involve the insertion of beams into the party wall. Similarly, the party wall may be raised or sections of it exposed by removing certain sections. Loft conversion roofing works may also affect the party wall structure, particularly when fitting flashings. All of these are notifiable works.
Basements
Notifiable residential works include cutting into walls between terraced houses, removal of chimney breasts, insertion of columns or new load-bearing walls, removal of floors/ceilings, insertion of a damp-proof course, excavating close to a neighbour’s property to build new foundations or constructing a new flank wall for an extension.
Side & Rear Extensions
Works on loft conversions may involve the insertion of beams into the party wall. Similarly, the party wall may be raised or sections of it exposed by removing certain sections. Loft conversion roofing works may also affect the party wall structure, particularly when fitting flashings. All of these are notifiable works.
What Is the Party Wall Act 1996 & why it matters?
The Party Wall Act of 1996 protects the shared property of building owners. It ensures that both parties agree to any construction work being carried out.
As a building owner, if any proposed work on your property falls within the scope of the act, then notice needs to be served on the neighbour, asking for their consent. Should they not agree, you would be in a ‘dispute’ scenario. Surveyors then need to attend to resolve the dispute using a specific party wall resolution process. If an agreement cannot be reached, then a second surveyor can be called in to help resolve the issue.
The amount of high-density housing in London results in many party wall issues, which is when our service is required. You should contact us early on so that all works to be undertaken by the building owner can be notified to the neighbour. Work cannot commence until their consent is obtained.
Types of works that fall within the Party Wall Act?
The Party Wall Act 1996 covers three categories of works: alterations to party structures, including floors and walls, constructing new walls at a boundary and excavation close to a neighbour’s property.
Owners intending to carry out any sort of building work need to serve notice on neighbours, asking for their consent. This may include cutting into walls or excavating trenches.
Alterations to party structures
Section 3 of the Party Wall Act refers to alterations to party structures. These are changes made to the actual party wall. Buildings tasks such as cutting holes into walls for additional beams or removing chimney breasts fall within the remit.
Construction of new walls
Section 1 of the Party Wall Act comes into play when a property owner intends to build a new wall at a boundary that has not previously been built upon. When a wall is constructed on or close to a party wall, it needs to be notified to the neighbour.
Excavation close to neighbouring properties
Section 6 of the Party Wall Act refers to excavations close to neighbouring properties. Any digging work to take place up to 6m away from a building or structure belonging to a neighbour (subject to depth criteria), needs to be notified.
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TOTAL PARTY WALL AWARDS
3,691
TOTAL PROTECTIONS
100
LOREM IPSUM
100
LOREM IPSUM
Get in touch today to discuss how we can help you navigate the Party Wall process successfully!
Call Us Now!
0208 154 5324
You are proposing to undertake some works, what next?
So what should you do when you propose carrying out some work that may affect a party wall? Most importantly, you should consult with our team of party wall surveyors. We will examine the work to be carried out and organise the serving of a Party Wall Notice.
The adjoining owner then has the option of consenting to the work or objecting. If dissent is received, we will liaise with the neighbouring surveyor on your behalf. They may provide their own surveyor or agree to use the same one as the property owner. Once An Agreement Is Reached And Consent Is Given, The Final Party Wall Award Will Include A Schedule Of Condition.
01
Consent
When consent is given, the party wall owner will still need to obtain planning permission from the local authority for the work to proceed. Neighbours are merely giving their agreement for any approved works to proceed without involving their surveyor. If works are minor, obtaining consent is not normally an issue. More complex works may require a meeting of surveyors.
02
Dissent & appoint an approved surveyor
A neighbour dissenting may wish to choose an approved surveyor with their neighbour. One surveyor is chosen to act impartially for both parties. Our party wall surveyors are used to carrying out this type of dispute resolution process. Once both neighbours agree to the work, the surveyor will prepare an Award i.e. a written agreement of the work to be carried out.
03
Dissent & appoint own surveyor
Alternately, the neighbour may dissent and appoint their own surveyor, (paid for by the building owners). They will then negotiate with our surveyor to arrive at an amicable conclusion. Once works are agreed, the property of both parties will then be protected by the issuance of a Party Wall Award, outlining construction works to be carried out.
The process & the party wall surveyors role
Our surveyor will operate on behalf of the building owner, taking control of the process from start to finish. As the building owner’s party wall surveyor, we will liaise with the neighbour’s surveyor if necessary until an agreement is reached. Our role will include a review of the site, construction plans, designs and drawings, carrying out the site survey and preparation of Schedule of Condition reports. We will also deal with contractor works and schedules and produce any Protection Statements, finally agreeing on the content of the Party Wall Award. Our surveyor will also make site visits to the adjoining neighbour’s property, both pre and post works.
01
Dissent & appoint own surveyor
Our party wall service includes reviewing all of the building owner’s construction plans, designs, and drawings. They will be carefully examined, taking note of what the impact will be upon the neighbouring property.
02
Site Surveys & Schedule Of Condition Reports
Our service also includes for a site survey and creation of Schedule of Condition Report. We will visit the owner’s property before any work begins. Photographs and notes will be taken, enabling us to create a detailed report.
03
Protection Statements
We will also prepare any Protection Statements. These are written reports that are put in place to cover the neighbouring property, clarifying the current condition. The building owner’s contractors have to adhere to the content of this statement when carrying out any party wall works.
04
Dealing With Works Schedules Of Contractors
Our party wall service includes reviewing all of the building owner’s construction plans, designs, and drawings. They will be carefully examined, taking note of what the impact will be upon the neighbouring property.
05
Agreeing Party Wall Award
A Party Wall Award is the final document created by the surveyor/s. It resolves any dispute that was initiated when the original Party Wall Notice was not consented to by the neighbour.
06
Site Visits
Our party wall surveying service will include for a site visit to both the owner’s property and the neighbouring property pre and post works. This way we can ensure that the details of the Party Wall Award are being strictly adhered to whilst making sure that, the adjoining owner’s property is not negatively affected in any way.
We look forward to discussing your building project with you.
Types of Protections that can be provided for within a Party Wall Award
The Party Wall Award is a comprehensive document prepared by our our team of surveyors. We will produce it if the neighbour initially objects to the construction work detailed in the Party Wall Notice. It provides a protection framework for the builders to work to, preventing disputes between owners and neighbour as far as the party wall is concerned. It will cover all party wall structures, including boundary walls and excavations close to the neighbouring property.
Access
Access by the building owner’s contractor onto the neighbour’s property is allowed within the award. The document protects both the owner’s and the neighbour’s property during construction works, detailing the extent of access.
Underpinning
Party wall construction work may involve basement conversions. In this case, underpinning may be involved. The award clarifies the details of these underpinning works from the adjoining owner’s perspective.
Hand Tools
The use of hand tools on the party wall would be noisy for the neighbour. Therefore, the award will specify that the building owner’s contractor should use only hand tools.
Damage Protection
Access by the building owner’s contractor onto the neighbour’s property is allowed within the award. The document protects both the owner’s and the neighbour’s property during construction works, detailing the extent of access.
Enclosure Costs
Should the building owner utilise a wall that was built by the adjoining property owner, then enclosure costs will apply. The award will ensure that compensation is calculated fairly for the adjoining owner.
Work Timing
The award will specify the days, hours and timings that the contractor should follow when accessing the adjoining owner’s space. These will be agreed by the surveyor/s before work commences.
Dust Protection
The use of hand tools on the party wall would be noisy for the neighbour. Therefore, the award will specify that the building owner’s contractor should use only hand tools.
Foundation Design
The award ensures that the correct foundation design is used during the works. There should not be any projections onto the property of the adjoining owner that may result in trespass
Our Area’s Of Expertise
We are experienced and knowledgeable party wall surveyors in London. Our team deliver a full range of services for building owner party wall services (as opposed to the adjoining owner). Our end-to-end solution encompasses free initial advice as well as preparation of any technical drawings. Proposals are prepared for each project and will provide you with a detailed cost breakdown. We can also look at alternative design ideas that may avoid the inclusion of the party wall.
Basements
When carrying out building works on a basement or cellar, adjoining neighbours may be upset if they are not correctly notified. This is particularly necessary when the work is noisy and disruptive. Our surveyors will inspect the project and arrange timely notification before work commences, keeping your neighbours happy.
Side & Rear Extensions
Works on loft conversions may involve the insertion of beams into the party wall. Similarly, the party wall may be raised or sections of it exposed by removing certain sections. Loft conversion roofing works may also affect the party wall structure, particularly when fitting flashings. All of these are notifiable works.
Loft Conversions
Works on loft conversions may involve the insertion of beams into the party wall. Similarly, the party wall may be raised or sections of it exposed by removing certain sections. Loft conversion roofing works may also affect the party wall structure, particularly when fitting flashings. All of these are notifiable works.
High Risk Works
High-risk works may include: cutting into walls between terraced houses, removal of chimney breasts, insertion of columns or new loadbearing walls, removal of floors/ceilings, insertion of a damp-proof course, excavating close to a neighbour’s property to build new foundations or constructing a new flank wall for an extension.
Check out what clients say
I would highly recommend Manwood Associates to anyone who needs help with party wall matters. They are a very knowledgeable team who were able to deal with our party wall matters in a professional manner. I found them to be friendly and helpful and very easy to deal with.
— Lizzy Whitehouse
BALHAM
We used Manwood recently to resolve a dispute with neighbours over a party wall in London. The service they provided was excellent and all of the team were helpful, knowledgeable and professional. We would highly recommend them to anyone facing a similar issue.
— Sue Davies
FULHAM
I would recommend this company to friends and family. They were professional and friendly, always keeping us up to date with the progress of the job. They put our minds at ease and really helped us through the process of dealing with our party wall agreement.
— Graham Dobson
LEWISHAM
Why choose Manwood Associates?
Clients choose us because we are professional, qualified, knowledgeable and customer-focused. We have a high consent rate concerning Party Wall Notices sent to adjoining property owners. Neighbours feel looked after, enabling projects to move forward smoothly. Our proposals are transparent and include dealing with reasonable damages after completion.
Qualified
As qualified surveyors, we have a comprehensive understanding of the Party Wall Act. We understand which works are notifiable and can act on the property owner’s behalf to serve Party Wall Notices. Our qualifications and experience enable us to resolve any disputes that may fall within the Party Wall Act.
Experienced
We have amassed great experience working for building owners in respect of the Party Wall Act. Able to work on any type of residential project, our detailed knowledge of the act means that we can resolve any disputes simply and swiftly. The more complex the work, the more essential our expertise.
Specialists
We specialise in acting for the building owner in relation to the Party Wall Act. This means that we will liaise with the adjoining owner and their surveyor as well as the chosen construction company. We prepare schedules of Condition and we will help agree the Party Wall Award.
Fixed Fee & Fee-cap Structures
We offer a fixed fee proposal for all property owners dealing with party wall construction projects. At the same time, our fee structures are capped, ensuring that we work within your budget. Transparent pricing means that building owners can control their costs from day one of assigning us.
Approach
Our party wall surveying approach is professional and focused on a successful outcome for all parties. Working on behalf of the property owner, our ethos as a company is founded upon careful attention to detail, fairness, integrity, honesty and total dedication to see the project through to successful completion.
Areas We Service
Based in London, our area of service encompasses the whole of the M25 area. If you are a property owner with a house, flat or apartment and are considering construction work that will affect your party wall, we can act on your behalf, liaising with builders and owners of the adjoining property.
We look forward to discussing your building project with you.
Call us today or drop us message and find out how we can help you acheive a seemless building project.
Request a Quote
Manwood Associates are residential party wall surveyors in London. If you need advice concerning the Party Wall Act 1996, we are here to help, effectively and efficiently.
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Business Hours
Mon – Fri: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Sat & Sun: closed