Are you planning a building project or have you received notice?
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?
In either scenario, it’s likely that you will need a surveyor with the experience and expertise to negotiate the legal minefield of the Party Wall Act (1996). Richard Hourican’s Chiswick-based chartered building consultancy provides exactly that professional service, and does so in a straightforward manner.
‘I’ve often found that surveyors speak their own language,’ Richard recalls. ‘That’s why we explain the Party Wall process to clients in detail – and we always do it in layman’s terms.’ While undertaking structural modifications, the chances of encroaching onto a neighbour's property are significant. ‘With loft conversions, problems are caused by raising the Party Wall (the physical divide between premises) or inserting steel beams and, with basements, it’s new foundations,’ says Richard.
‘As surveyors, we protect our client’s best interests. We will check all the drawings, serve legal notices and draw up a Party Wall Award; this is a binding agreement between home owners that sets out their duties and obligations and serves as reference in the event of a dispute.
‘Alternatively, we can also prepare a “Schedule of Condition Survey” prior to any work starting. In those instances, we survey the properties as they stand and then, if damage is caused, there is clear proof of previously existing conditions.’
Perhaps surprisingly, the same surveyor can be engaged by the ‘Building Owner’ and the ‘Adjoining Neighbour’. This has the benefit of avoiding confusions, speeding up proceedings and cutting costs. ‘According to the law, we work for the Party Wall Act,’ explains Richard. ‘That means we are obliged to be impartial, hence we can be appointed by – and then advise – both parties involved in any project. In those cases, we are called the ‘Agreed Surveyor.’
‘It’s essential to understand all the implications of building plans,’ he adds. ‘If you don’t, it could cost thousands. Our job is to ensure everything is done correctly – and that it doesn’t!’
Why choose Hourican Associates?
We are specialist regulated Party Wall surveyors and will always ensure our clients' interests are protected during building works.
Accredited
Hourican Associates specialise in all Party Wall matters in London and are fully qualified members of the FPWS, Pyramus & Thisbe Club and regulated by RICS, CIOB & CABE.
Thorough
We pay attention to the detail & are experts in all Party Wall matters, we ensure the protection supplied by the Party Wall Act is in place & accurately applied to your project.
Professional
We draw upon a wealth of experience and professional qualifications to ensure that we can assist our clients in the most cost and time effective way possible.
Experienced
We are specialist Party Wall surveyors with a wealth of experience working in London on projects of all sizes, always ensuring our clients are fully protected by the Party Wall Act.
Highly recommend working with Richard and his team.
Richard was first class with how he helped me with my query. Despite immediately realising Hourican Associates couldn't help me with the work i required, he spent 15 minutes on the phone discussing my problem and directing me to other trusted professionals who could help me. Thanks!!
Used for a Party Wall Agreement. Incredibly efficient, fast and very responsive to any questions. Thank you!
I found out I needed party wall awards from no less than 8 neighbours and AFTER strip out works. Richard Hourican made saving the day a breeze, meeting all our new neighbours and walking them through the somewhat complicated party wall process. I had been told that one could do party wall awards yourself, I now understand there is absolutely no way that would have been done correctly or as efficiently without the help of Richard and his team. I recommend you call him and explain your situation, he'll sort it and give you a very reasonable fee for the pleasure.
I can’t recommend Richard and Hourican Associates highly enough. From the outset of our loft conversion project, they demonstrated professionalism, deep expertise, and a calm, solution-focused approach that proved invaluable. Not only did Richard provide clear, practical guidance through the technical and regulatory aspects, but he also managed sensitive party wall matters with diplomacy and clarity. His ability to communicate effectively, mediate concerns, and ensure we remained compliant with all building approvals gave us great peace of mind throughout the process. If you're considering any home extension or loft work, especially where neighbour relations or party wall matters might become tricky, I’d strongly recommend working with Hourican Associates. An absolute asset to any project.
Provided excellent advice on handling of a party wall award - would recommend.
Very professional service
Richard came highly recommended and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to anyone - especially if, like us, the party wall issues are complex. Richard is terrifically knowledgeable about the practices and law concerning party wall boundaries and very experienced. He is also great to deal with - responsive and highly professional. In our case, he was able to navigate the complexities (and personalities involved) with great skill. We are enormously grateful to him.
Richard has acted as my Party wall surveyor and has has been incredibly responsive, knowledgeable and helpful throughout the process - he has a great set of contacts so if he doesn’t know the answer to something, he’ll know a man you does - throughly recommend
Our friend introduced Richard to us to help on party wall matters. His work was delivered in a very efficient and timely way with high quality. Great experience and highly recommended.
I first met Richard in Sept 2016 for a coffee, he went through his services and we gave him a trial run on a fairly complex party wall award requirement for a mid terrace in Fulham SW6. He booked the Schedule of Condition survey the following day and had the awards in my email within the week. Richard is now our main recommended PWS and since then has completed 100s of jobs for our clients. Richard is courteous, strong on customer service, good value, extremely knowledgeable and always a pleasure to deal with.
I have worked with Richard for few years now and have nothing but praise. Fast acting, fair costing and thorough work. Clear communication is given throughout which makes working with Richard so much easier.