What is a Party Structure Notice?
Hourican & Associates Ltd |
Planning works to a shared wall in London? Under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, you may be legally required to serve a Party Structure Notice. Hourican Associates are Chartered Party Wall Surveyors (RICS, CIOB, MCABE; members of FPWS & Pyramus & Thisbe Society) providing clear, compliant advice for building owners and adjoining owners across North, South, East and West London.
- ✅ Party Wall Notices from £150 + VAT per adjoining owner
- ✅ Schedule of Condition Surveys from £385–£585 + VAT (basements priced separately)
- ✅ Full Party Wall Award service £1,100–£1,500 + VAT (scope/size dependent)
What is a Party Structure Notice?
A Party Structure Notice is a formal notification required when a building owner intends to carry out certain works directly to a party structure (e.g., a shared/party wall, party fence wall, or party floor/ceiling) under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. The notice must be served on the adjoining owner(s) at least two months before the works begin.
Typical Section 2 works requiring a Party Structure Notice include:
- Cutting into a party wall to insert steel beams for a loft conversion
- Raising, thickening, or underpinning a party wall
- Removing projections (e.g., cutting away chimney breasts)
- Demolishing and rebuilding a defective party wall
Why choose Hourican Associates?
- London specialists: Chelsea, Fulham, Kensington, Camden, Islington, Richmond, Wandsworth, Chiswick, Hammersmith, Westminster & beyond
- Regulated by RICS, CIOB, MCABE
- Members of FPWS & Pyramus & Thisbe Society
- Impartial, legally compliant, fixed-fee options
How the Process Works
1) Prepare the Notice
We draft a compliant Party Structure Notice including the building owner’s details, a clear description of proposed works, and the intended start date (observing the two-month statutory lead-in).
2) Serve the Notice
We formally serve notice on all affected adjoining owners. Proper service is essential; defects can invalidate notices and delay the project.
3) Neighbour’s Response
- Consent – works proceed; a Schedule of Condition is recommended for protection.
- Dissent & Separate Surveyors – each party appoints a surveyor.
- Dissent & Agreed Surveyor – both parties appoint one impartial surveyor.
4) Party Wall Award
On dissent, surveyor(s) issue a binding Party Wall Award setting out methods, access, protections, working hours, and includes a Schedule of Condition of the adjoining property.
Our London Party Wall Services & Fees
Serve Party Wall Notices
From £150 + VAT per adjoining owner
- Legally compliant notices (Party Structure / Section 1 / Section 6)
- Proof of service & tracking
Schedule of Condition
From £385–£585 + VAT
- Comprehensive photographic record
- Basements priced separately due to scope
Full Party Wall Award
£1,100–£1,500 + VAT
- All notices, survey, and Award agreed
- Tailored to complexity & property size
Party Structure Notice – Frequently Asked Questions
Richard Hourican, Company Director
BSc (Hons). HND Build. MCIOB. C.Build E MCABE. ARICS. MFPWS. MPTS
As a specialist Party Wall surveyor, Richard Hourican will protect your interests during building works.
Are you planning a building project – perhaps an extension, loft conversion or basement – that is on or adjacent to your property’s boundary line? Or has a ‘Party Wall’ notice dropped on the doormat informing you of a neighbour’s impending works?
It’s essential to understand all the implications of building plans. If you don’t, it could cost thousands. Our job is to ensure everything is done correctly – and that it doesn’t!
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