Ten party wall myths, corrected

1. "My neighbour can stop my extension"

They cannot use the Party Wall Act to stop lawful work. They can have it regulated by surveyors and be compensated for damage. Objections to the design belong in planning.

2. "A party wall agreement is something both neighbours sign"

An award is made by surveyors, not signed by the owners. It binds both owners, subject to a 14-day window for appeals. Where neighbours simply agree to the work, there is no award at all.

3. "If my neighbour ignores the notice, I can just start"

For party structure and excavation notices, silence is treated as a dispute. Surveyors still have to make an award before the work begins.

4. "Only semis and terraces are affected"

Detached houses are caught too, through the excavation rules and new walls on the boundary.

5. "Drilling into the party wall always needs notice"

Ordinary fixings for shelves or sockets are generally treated as too minor. Cutting in a beam, a flashing or a damp proof course is a different matter.

6. "The neighbour pays for their own surveyor"

Normally the building owner meets the reasonable fees of both surveyors, since the work is theirs.

7. "Planning permission covers party wall matters"

They are separate systems. Permission to build says nothing about how you treat a shared wall.

8. "Only a surveyor can serve a valid notice"

Building owners can serve their own notices, provided they contain what the Act requires and are served properly.

9. "Once I have consented, I cannot claim for damage"

Consent does not release the building owner from liability for damage, and a disagreement about damage can still be settled under the Act.

10. "The agreed surveyor works for whoever pays"

Whoever pays, a surveyor appointed under the Act has to be impartial.