A typical timeline
| Stage | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Prepare and serve notices | A few days |
| Neighbour's reply period | 14 days |
| Follow-up if no reply | 10 more days |
| Surveyors appointed, inspection and schedule of condition | 1 to 3 weeks |
| Award agreed and served | 1 to 4 weeks |
| Minimum notice period | 1 month (boundary wall, excavation) or 2 months (shared wall) |
Several of these overlap. The notice period runs while the surveyors are working, so on a straightforward loft conversion the award is often ready when the two months are up.
What speeds things up
- Neighbours who consent, or agree to one surveyor
- Neighbours agreeing in writing to an earlier start
- Complete drawings sent with the notice
- Serving notice as soon as the design is settled
What slows things down
- Late notices, served once the builder is booked
- Missing owners or incorrect notices that need re-serving
- Basements and complex structural designs
- Disagreements between surveyors
The planning-stage trick
You do not need planning permission to serve notice. If your design is settled, serving notice while planning is being decided can save weeks.
Where this comes from in the Act
- Section 3: Party structure notices
- Section 6: Adjacent excavation and construction
- Section 10: Resolution of disputes
Links go to the official text of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 on legislation.gov.uk.