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You must tell your neighbours if you want to carry out any building work near or on your shared property boundary, or 鈥榩arty wall鈥�, in England and Wales.

Party walls stand on the land of 2 or more owners and either:

• form part of a building
• do not form part of a building, such as a garden wall (not wooden fences)

Walls on one owner鈥檚 land used by other owners (2 or more) to separate their buildings are also party walls.

Party structures

You can also have a 鈥榩arty structure鈥�. This could be a floor or other structure that separates buildings or parts of buildings with different owners, for example flats.

Party wall agreements are different from planning permission or building regulations approval.

You must tell your neighbour if you want to:

• build on or at the boundary of your 2 properties
• work on an existing party wall or party structure
• dig below and near to the foundation level of their property

Examples of this type of work include:

• building a new wall
• cutting into a party wall
• making a party wall taller, shorter or deeper
• removing chimneys from a party wall
• knocking down and rebuilding a party wall

Find more details of work you need to tell your neighbour about in the party wall explanatory booklet.

What you do not need to tell them about

You do not need to tell your neighbour about minor changes, for example plastering, adding or replacing electrical wiring or sockets, or drilling to put up shelves or cabinets.

You must give notice to your neighbour between 2 months and a year before you plan to start building works. Include what you plan on doing.

You can speak to your neighbour to explain the work you want to carry out, before giving notice in writing.

Find letter templates and more information on giving notice in the party wall explanatory booklet.

Once you鈥檝e given notice your neighbour can:

• give consent in writing
• refuse consent, which will start the dispute resolution process
• serve a counter notice requesting additional works be done at the same time (they鈥檒l have to pay for these if they benefit from the works)

Your neighbour must let you know in writing within 14 days if they consent to your notice, and you must do the same with any counter notice. A counter notice must be served within a month of the first notice.

Find examples of counter notice letters in the party wall booklet.

The dispute resolution process will also start if they do not respond to your notice within the given time.

Who pays for the work

You need to pay for any building works that you start on a party wall.

Your neighbour may have to meet a share of the cost if the work needs to be done because of defects or lack of repair. They will also need to pay if they ask for additional works to be done that will benefit them.

An appointed surveyor will set out who pays what if you cannot agree.

You must appoint a surveyor if you and your neighbour cannot agree. You can appoint a surveyor together or each appoint your own. The surveyors will then agree on a 鈥榩arty wall award鈥�.

This is a legal document which says:

• what work should happen
• how and when it will be carried out
• who will pay for which part and how much will be paid (including surveyor鈥檚 fees)

If your neighbour does not appoint a surveyor

You can appoint a surveyor on behalf of your neighbour if they refuse or fail to do so themselves.

If you do not agree with the award

You can appeal against an award at a county court within 14 days of receiving it. You need to file an appellant鈥檚 notice in a county court, explaining why you鈥檙e appealing.

When carrying out building works you must:

• avoid causing unnecessary inconvenience
• protect your neighbour鈥檚 property from damage caused by the works, and fix or pay for any damage that is caused

Access to your neighbour鈥檚 property

Your neighbour must allow surveyors and workmen access to their property during usual working hours to carry out the building works. They must be given 14 days鈥� notice except in an emergency.