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Party wall notice guide

Tell us what work you are planning and this guide works out which notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies, how many months before you start you must serve it, and how long your neighbour has to reply. It points you to the right GOV.UK example letter. It doesn't write the notice for you, and it isn't legal advice.

Red-brick terraced houses with scaffolding and a skip outside one, a builder walking in
owners

Each adjoining owner gets their own notice. Count freeholders and long leaseholders (over a year), not just the person who lives next door.

If every neighbour consents in writing there is no dispute and no surveyor needs to be appointed.

Your result

Notice you need

Party structure notice

Section of the Act
Party Wall etc. Act 1996, section 3 (the rights are in section 2)
Minimum notice before work starts
2 months
Neighbour should reply within
14 daysNo reply means: for a wall astride the boundary you must build on your own land; for party wall work and excavation, a dispute is deemed to have arisen.
Notices to serve
1one per adjoining owner
GOV.UK example letter
GOV.UK example letter 1: party structure notice
Surveyor cost estimate
£700 – £2,000700 to 2,000 per adjoining owner (typical about 1,000) if the neighbour does not consent. It roughly doubles if you each use your own surveyor.
  • We don't produce notices. Use the GOV.UK templates or a party wall surveyor.
  • GOV.UK explanatory booklet: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-resolving-disputes-in-relation-to-party-walls/the-party-wall-etc-act-1996-explanatory-booklet
  • GOV.UK example notice letters: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/party-wall-etc-act-1996-guidance
  • This is a guide, not legal advice. The Party Wall etc. Act is separate from planning permission and building regulations. Minor work such as drilling for shelves or wall units, recessed sockets, or removing and replastering may be too minor to need a notice.
  • Surveyor fees are estimates from published UK cost guides (checked 2026-11-06). Get at least three quotes.

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How to use the party wall notice generator

  1. Under What work are you planning? choose the closest match: a new wall on the boundary, a new wall wholly on your own land, work to an existing party wall, or digging near the neighbour's building.
  2. For digging, enter How far is the work from the neighbour's building? and How deep will your excavation or foundations go? If you don't know their depth, tick I don't know how deep the neighbour's foundations are.
  3. Enter How many adjoining owners are affected? Each owner gets their own notice. Count freeholders and long leaseholders (over a year), not only the person next door.
  4. If you chose party wall work or digging, say whether the neighbour will agree to the work in writing. If every neighbour agrees, no surveyor is needed.
  5. Read the notice name, the section of the Act, the minimum notice and the example letter. Tap Copy result to keep the answer, or Share link to send it to your builder.

Why use this calculator

It picks the notice for you. The Act has three kinds of notice and the right one depends on the work. You answer a few plain questions, and it names the notice and the section of the Act.

It checks the digging rules with your numbers. The 3 metre and 6 metre rules depend on distance and depth, so it works them out and shows the working.

It gives you a cost estimate for surveyors, and tells you when there is nothing to pay: if your neighbour agrees in writing, there is no dispute and no surveyor.

It points to the official letters. Instead of a template of our own, it links to the GOV.UK example letters and the explanatory booklet, so you use wording the Government has published.

How we worked it out

Your numbers, step by step. This updates as you change the calculator.

  1. Work to an existing party wall, such as cutting into it to take the bearing of a beam or raising its height, needs a party structure notice under section 3. Serve it at least 2 months before the work starts.
  2. Serve 1 notice, one for each adjoining owner, saying what you plan to do and when it starts.
  3. Each owner has 14 days to reply. If they agree in writing, the work can go ahead with no surveyor. If they dissent, or say nothing within 14 days, a dispute is deemed to have arisen.
  4. To settle a dispute, you and your neighbour agree one surveyor, or each appoint your own (they pick a third if they cannot agree). You cannot act as your own surveyor.
  5. If a neighbour does not appoint a surveyor within 10 days of your request, you can appoint one on their behalf (section 10(4)).
  6. The surveyor or surveyors make a party wall award saying what work, how and when. You usually pay the surveyors' fees when the work is for your benefit.
  7. Start only after the notice period has passed (and any award is made). A notice lapses if you have not started within 12 months.
  8. Result: Party structure notice, at least 2 months before you start.

The three notices

  • Line of junction notice (section 1). For a new wall on the boundary. Serve it at least 1 month before you start. If the new wall is astride the boundary and your neighbour doesn’t consent within 14 days, you can only build wholly on your own land. GOV.UK example letter 4 is for a wall astride the boundary, and letter 6 is for a wall wholly on your own land.
  • Party structure notice (sections 2 and 3). For work to an existing party wall, such as cutting into it to take the bearing of a beam, or raising its height. Serve it at least 2 months before you start. GOV.UK example letter 1 is for this.
  • Notice of adjacent excavation (section 6), the “3 metre or 6 metre notice”. Serve it at least 1 month before you dig. GOV.UK example letter 8 is for this.

You can find all the example letters on the GOV.UK party wall guidance page. The explanatory booklet explains the Act in plain language.

How we pick the notice

The calculator chooses the notice from the work you describe. For digging, it uses two tests from section 6. A notice is needed if either is true:

  • The 3 metre test. Your excavation is within 3 m of the neighbour’s building and goes deeper than the bottom of their foundations.
  • The 6 metre test. Your excavation is within 6 m and cuts through a line sloping down at 45 degrees from the bottom of their foundations. The line drops 1 m for every metre you are away from them.

If you don’t know how deep their foundations are, we say a notice is the safe choice. A surveyor or a trial hole will tell you the depth.

What we assume

  • The notice period is the minimum before work starts: 1 month, or 2 months for a party structure notice.
  • Your neighbour has 14 days to respond. If they consent in writing, there is no dispute and no surveyor needs to be appointed.
  • If a dispute arises, you and your neighbour either agree one surveyor or each appoint your own. They make an award saying what work, how and when. The person doing the building work usually pays.
  • Surveyor fees are £700 to £2,000 per adjoining owner, typically £1,000. They roughly double if you each have your own surveyor. These are estimates from published UK cost guides, so get at least three quotes.
  • A notice lapses 12 months after it is served if the work hasn’t started.
  • We don’t write notices. Use the GOV.UK example letters or a party wall surveyor.

Tips

  • Talk to your neighbour before you serve anything. If they agree in writing, you can skip the surveyors. The notice is a formal step, and a friendly chat first usually goes better.
  • Serve one notice per adjoining owner. A notice lapses if you haven't started within 12 months.
  • Small jobs may not need a notice. GOV.UK says drilling for shelves or wall units, putting in recessed sockets, or removing and replastering is too minor.
  • A party wall notice is separate from planning permission and building regulations. Check the planning side with our planning permission checker, which uses the national rules for houses in England. Your council has the final say.
  • Put the fees in your budget. See the planning permission cost estimator and the house extension cost calculator for surveyor fees alongside the other costs.
  • Not sure which notice applies, or your neighbour disputes it? Ask a party wall surveyor. This page is a guide, not legal advice.

FAQs

What should a party wall notice include?
It should say what work you plan to do and when it will start, and it goes to each adjoining owner. For digging near their building, include plans and sections showing the site and depth of the excavation, and say whether you will strengthen or safeguard their foundations. The GOV.UK example letters show the wording.
How much notice do I need to give for a party wall notice?
One month for a line of junction notice (a new wall on the boundary) and for a notice of adjacent excavation. Two months for a party structure notice (work to an existing party wall). A notice lapses if the work hasn't started within 12 months.
What is the difference between the three party wall notices?
A line of junction notice (section 1) is for a new wall built on or up to the boundary. A party structure notice (sections 2 and 3) is for work to a wall you share, such as cutting in a beam or raising it. A notice of adjacent excavation (section 6) is for digging within 3 m or 6 m of a neighbour's building.
What happens if my neighbour does not respond to a party wall notice?
They have 14 days to reply. For work to an existing party wall or an excavation, no reply means a dispute is deemed to have arisen and surveyors settle it. For a new wall astride the boundary, no consent means you must build wholly on your own land.
How much does a party wall surveyor cost?
About £700 to £2,000 per adjoining owner, with £1,000 a typical figure. It roughly doubles if you and your neighbour each use your own surveyor. If your neighbour agrees in writing, you pay no surveyor. You usually pay the surveyors' fees when the work is for your benefit.
Do I need a party wall notice for an extension or loft conversion?
Only if the work falls under the Act. That means building on or up to the boundary, cutting into or raising a shared wall (for example to take a beam), or digging within 3 m or 6 m of a neighbour's building. Use the guide above to check, and ask a party wall surveyor if you're unsure.
Can I use one surveyor for a party wall dispute?
Yes. You and your neighbour can agree on one surveyor, or each appoint your own. You can't act as your own surveyor. If your neighbour doesn't appoint one within 10 days of your request, you can appoint one on their behalf.

Last reviewed: 6 November 2026 · How we calculate · Report an error