Fixed fees from £70, quoted in writing, with no VAT. Ivan Larkin has over 37 years in construction and acts for building owners, for neighbours, or as the one agreed surveyor for both.
You are the building owner. We serve the right notices on every neighbour, deal with their surveyor and agree the award, so your project can start on time.
You are the adjoining owner. Do not ignore it. If you stay silent the Act treats that as dissent, and your neighbour can end up appointing a surveyor to act for you.
Ivan is the only practising party wall surveyor at Simply Party Walls Ltd. Under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 a surveyor is appointed personally, by name, so these memberships are his own. More about Ivan and the firm.
These are the questions we are asked most often. Each guide says which notice applies and what happens next.
Work near a shared wall or a neighbour’s foundations, and what the Act says about it.
Your neighbour has served a notice. You have 14 days to reply, and silence counts as dissent.
As a general rule the building owner pays the reasonable fees of both surveyors.
A new wall built on the boundary between two properties. One month’s notice.
Work to a shared wall, such as loft beams or a chimney breast. Two months’ notice.
Digging near a neighbour’s foundations. One month’s notice.
These are the prices we publish. Your written quotation confirms exactly what is covered for your project.
We search the Land Registry for the right owners, prepare the notice, a covering letter and a form of consent, and follow up with ten-day notices if your neighbour does not reply.
A surveyed and photographed record of the neighbouring property before work starts, served on both owners. It is your best protection against a later damage claim.
We act as agreed surveyor for both owners, review the drawings, inspect the property, and prepare and serve the award.
No VAT is added to any of these fees. See what each fee includes.
The Act sets the timetable. This is the usual order of events.
Tell us what is planned or what the notice says. We confirm whether the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies and send a fixed fee in writing.
The building owner serves a notice on every adjoining owner. That is one month before a new boundary wall or excavation, and two months before work to a shared wall.
They can consent in writing or dissent. If they say nothing, the Act treats that as dissent and surveyors are appointed.
The surveyor records the neighbouring property in a schedule of condition. The award then sets out how the work may proceed and who pays.
The award covers access, working hours and what happens if damage occurs. Either owner can appeal to the county court within 14 days of the award being served.
Simply Party Walls is run by Ivan Larkin from Banstead in Surrey. Ivan worked in construction for over 37 years, including as a registered house builder with LABC and NHBC, before moving into party wall surveying. He knows how a loft conversion, a rear extension or a basement is actually built, so the award he writes works on site as well as on paper.
A party wall surveyor is the independent professional the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 uses to settle what happens when building work affects a neighbour. We act for building owners who need notices served and an award agreed, for neighbours who have received a notice and want their home protected, and as the agreed surveyor for both when they would rather share one.
Your first call is free. We tell you plainly whether the Act applies to your work, which notices are needed and what we would charge, and you decide what to do next. Read more about Ivan and the firm or see how our fixed fees work.
These are the projects we are asked about most. Each guide says which notices apply and what to expect.
We are based in Banstead and act across London and the South East. Choose your area for local detail.
A party wall surveyor is an independent professional who settles what happens under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 when building work affects a neighbour. They check that notices are valid, record the condition of the neighbouring property, and prepare the party wall award, which sets out how the work may be carried out. They can act for the building owner, for the adjoining owner, or as one agreed surveyor for both.
Our fees are fixed and published: a party wall notice is £70, a schedule of condition £350 and an award from £600, with no VAT. You get a written quotation before you commit. As a general rule the building owner pays the reasonable fees of both surveyors. See the full fee guide.
In a terraced or semi-detached house, usually yes. A loft conversion normally needs a notice because beams bear on the shared wall. An extension needs one if it is built on the boundary, cuts into a shared wall, or has foundations deeper than a neighbour’s within 3 or 6 metres. See our guides to loft conversions and extensions.
For work to a shared wall or an excavation, silence for 14 days counts as dissent. The building owner can then ask you to appoint a surveyor, and if you still do not within 10 days, they can appoint one on your behalf. That surveyor will not be of your choosing, so reply in writing and call us first.
As a general rule the building owner pays the reasonable costs of both surveyors, including the neighbour’s, where the work is for the owner’s benefit. The award decides who pays what, and there are exceptions, for example where a wall is defective. Read who pays for a party wall surveyor.
The first conversation is free and there is no obligation. Tell us about the work and we will say whether the Party Wall etc. Act applies and what it would cost.
