Cover letter
A friendly "let's talk first" note to each adjoining owner, so the notice never lands cold.
Party Wall etc. Act 1996· England & Wales
Answer a few questions and we work out exactly which statutory notices your work needs — then draft them for every adjoining owner, record service and collect written consent online.
What it saves you
The law doesn't reserve notice drafting for surveyors. You can draft and serve them yourself. The costs below are what the traditional route charges, and under section 10(13) the building owner pays them for every neighbour served.
PlanningMapsUK pack
£54.99
all-in, one payment
Notices for every adjoining owner, the consent agreement and a schedule of condition, all in one pack. No per-neighbour fee.
Start my packThe surveyor route
You pay all of it, per neighbour (s.10(13)). A terraced loft with two dissenting neighbours can run £4,000–£6,000.
Free 30-second check
Three quick questions for an initial steer. Your project choice carries into the full builder, where we verify every legal detail. Nothing is charged until you have seen which notices apply.
What's in your pack
Every adjoining owner gets their own set. Properly typeset PDFs with the correct sections and dates, ready to serve.
A friendly "let's talk first" note to each adjoining owner, so the notice never lands cold.
The correct notice for each owner, with the right sections, particulars and dates. Excavation notices include the drawings appendix.
A simple consent-or-dissent response form for your neighbour to complete and return.
Included where written consent is required. It records agreed conditions such as working hours and making good, and is signable online.
A room-by-room template with a photo log and countersign block to record the property before work starts.
How to serve lawfully under s.15, with a proof-of-service record for your evidence trail.
The whole process in plain English, including what to do if a neighbour dissents.
How it works
Tell us about your project, the boundary and your neighbours. We work out which notice each owner needs, and explain why.
Pay £54.99 once and download professionally typeset PDFs for every adjoining owner.
Serve in person or by post and log it in your case dashboard. Free tracked posting is launching soon.¹
Share a secure link. Your neighbour reviews the pack and consents online. If they dissent, we point you to a surveyor.
¹ Postal serving is launching soon. For now you serve the notices yourself. The pack includes step-by-step serving instructions and a proof-of-service record.
Which notice does my project need?
These are the usual pairings. The builder confirms yours from your answers.
Party Structure Notice, s.2(2)(a) & (f)
2 months’ notice
Steel beams bear into the shared wall and you may raise it. Silence for 14 days counts as a dispute (s.5).
Line of Junction Notice, s.1
1 month’s notice
Building up to or astride the boundary line. Digging deep foundations within 3m adds an Adjacent Excavation notice (s.6).
Party Structure Notice, s.2(2)(g)
2 months’ notice
Cutting away a chimney breast or other projections from the party wall is notifiable work.
Line of Junction or Party Structure, s.1 / s.2
1–2 months’ notice
A brand-new wall on the line needs s.1; raising or rebuilding a party fence wall needs s.2. Timber fences and hedges fall outside the Act.
Notice of Adjacent Excavation, s.6
1 month’s notice
Digging within 3m and deeper than your neighbour’s foundations. Must include plans and sections (s.6(6)). Basements: we steer you to a surveyor.
Included, not extra
A schedule of condition is a dated photographic record of your neighbour's property before work begins. The Act doesn't require one, but government guidance calls it the prudent step, because it is your evidence if a damage claim appears later.
A professional schedule involves an inspection by a surveyor. This pack instead includes a structured DIY template: room-by-room condition tables, a photo log and countersignature blocks so both owners can create a clear record together.
Build my packParty wall questions
In everyday language, a "party wall agreement" is the written consent you get from a neighbour after serving the notices the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 requires. It records that they agree to your work and sets out conditions such as working hours and making good. Our pack produces those notices and the consent agreement.
No. An Award is a formal document only surveyors appointed under section 10 can make. We sell the consent path: statutory notices plus a written consent agreement. If your neighbour agrees, you never need an Award. If they dissent or stay silent for 14 days, the Act requires a surveyor and we point you to the RICS and FPWS directories.
Our pack is £54.99 all-in and covers every adjoining owner. The surveyor route runs £150–£350 per notice, £700–£1,500 for an agreed Award, or £2,000–£3,000+ when each side appoints its own surveyor. Under section 10(13) the building owner pays those fees for every neighbour served.
Whenever you work on a shared wall, build a new wall on the boundary line, or excavate within 3–6 metres and deeper than a neighbour’s foundations. Common triggers are loft conversions, chimney breast removals, extensions and basements. Our free triage tells you which notice applies before you pay anything.
Usually yes. Steel beams bearing into the party wall, and raising the wall, are notifiable under section 2 and need a Party Structure Notice with two months’ notice. If neighbours on both sides are affected, each must be served separately.
The Act creates no criminal offence, but if notifiable work has begun with no notice served, an affected neighbour can apply to court for an injunction to stop it. The building owner can serve notice, but it is far better to serve before work starts. Our guide covers the dissent and dispute routes.
You can, but a buyer’s solicitor will usually ask for evidence that past building work was properly notified. Missing paperwork can delay a sale or require indemnity insurance. Keeping your served notices and signed consent agreement protects the sale.
Silence for 14 days counts as a dispute (deemed dissent for excavation under s.6(7)), and an outright refusal is a dissent. At that point the Act requires surveyors to settle matters with an Award. We point you to the government booklet and the surveyor directories, free.
Yes. There is no legal requirement to use a surveyor to draft or serve notices, and drafting them is not a reserved legal activity. You serve them in person or by post to each adjoining owner; the pack includes serving instructions and a proof-of-service record for your evidence.
No. The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies in England and Wales only, so our pack is limited to those. Scotland and Northern Ireland rely on common law and different rules.
Please read: PlanningMapsUK is not a law firm or a firm of surveyors, and nothing on this page is legal advice. This pack produces statutory party wall notices and a written consent agreement. It is not a Party Wall Award; only surveyors appointed under section 10 can make one. If your neighbour dissents or does not respond within 14 days, the Act requires a surveyor and we point you to the RICS and FPWS directories. Available for properties in England and Wales only. Read the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 in full on legislation.gov.uk, and the government's explanatory booklet on GOV.UK.