How much will a party wall agreement cost?

The cost of a party wall surveyor varies greatly across the country. In London the cost can be quite high with hourly rates coming in at around £150-£250 an hour. As you travel away from London the costs can reduce although it is unlikely they will reduce significantly from this hourly rate.

In terms of how much time is required to formalise a party wall agreement, this will depend on the nature of the works and how many neighbours you have. A standard loft conversion may have anywhere from 6 to 8 hours worth of input. This will normally include the following:

·         Initial Land Registry searches and document reviews.

·         Serving notices upon neighbours.

·         Undertaking an initial inspection of the neighbouring property and preparing a schedule of condition.

·         Liaising with the client, neighbour and designers i.e. architects and engineers.

·         Preparing and serving party wall awards.

·         Undertaking a final inspection on completion of the works but not dealing with damage.

It stands to reason that you cannot pre-charge someone for dealing with damage which may or may not occur. Therefore where damage does occur, a party wall surveyor will only become involved if the neighbours cannot agree on the sum required to repair the damage. In this instance there is a further dispute under the act which requires input from the surveyor which could take another one to 2 hours.

More complex works can require more input and you should bear this in mind. Most surveyors acting for individuals undertaking building will provide a fixed fee proposal at the outset again not dealing with damage allowing for all necessary input and a final inspection. We recommend obtaining fixed costs wherever possible rather than allowing an hourly rate and therefore somewhat unlimited input from a surveyor.