What is a Party Wall Surveyor?
A Surveyor is described in the Party Wall Act 1996 as anyone who is not party to the works that are being carried out. This helps both sides as it rules out the owner acting for themselves. This will include whoever has an interest in the said works or a relation between the owners.
The person that you pick should have extensive knowledge of construction, have an excellent understanding of the Party Wall procedures and have a relevant degree. People usually pick Building Surveyors or other Surveying backgrounds.
The Party Wall Surveyor will prepare documents such as the Party Wall Award or Party Structure Notice. This document looks at the owners’ rights and responsibilities of how the work should proceed and looks at items such as working hours. The document will also state the course of action in the case of any damage and how the surveyor will access the property during the course of the works.
What is an Agreed Surveyor?
An Agreed Party Wall Surveyor is someone that acts on behalf of both the homeowner and the Adjacent Neighbour. They can be employed for a Party Wall Agreement for rear extension or to make a Party Wall Agreement loft conversion or any notifiable works under the Act.
The agreed surveyor’s responsibilities include:
- Reviewing the proposed works and constructional details provided by the building owner.
- Serving the appropriate and correct notices for the works.
- Assessing the impact of the works to the adjoining owners and reviewing the method of the works to reduce the risk of adverse damage to the neighbour structure.
- Arranging access and attending the site to record the condition of the Adjoining Owners property which forms the schedule of conditions.
- Issuing and serving the Party Wall Award to the neighbours and Building Owners for the proposed works.
- Assessing any damage caused by the works and issuing subsequent Award/s to make good/compensate the adjoining owners.
The benefit of an Agreed Surveyor is that the Building Owner will not need to pay the surveying fees of two Surveyors, moreover, the process is generally quicker when there is only one Surveyor drafting the Award.
Not sure if an Agreed Surveyor is right for your party wall matter or do you need help with the Party Structure Notice? Contact us to find out more and get assistance with all your Party Wall issues in London.