A full Award is not required in every situation. The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 requires a correctly served notice, and what happens next depends on the notice type, the adjoining owner's response and the works. A dispute may require surveyors and an Award; written consent may keep a Section 3 or Section 6 notice out of that route once the applicable requirements are met.
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 doesn't require a Party Wall Award in every case. It requires a correctly served notice. What happens next depends on your neighbour's response — and there are three possible outcomes, only one of which involves a formal Award.
The three outcomes
Outcome A — Your neighbour consents
Your neighbour receives the notice, understands what it means, and signs the consent form. For a Section 3 or Section 6 notice, written consent can keep the notice out of the Section 10 dispute route once the relevant notice period and other requirements have been met. A Section 1 wall proposed astride the boundary requires written consent for that option; silence does not authorise building astride.
A clear notice can help the adjoining owner understand the works and response options, but no notice can guarantee consent or prevent a later issue.
Total cost: from £30
Outcome B — Your neighbour consents subject to a Schedule of Condition
A possible consent outcome for a domestic project
Your neighbour is happy for the works to proceed, but wants a record made of their property's condition before you start — so that if anything is damaged during the works, there is an unambiguous photographic baseline to refer to.
A Schedule of Condition can help record the adjoining property's condition before work starts. Where a surveyor is instructed, they may photograph and document the condition and provide a report to the parties. This evidence can help with a later damage question, but it does not provide an absolute guarantee or replace the parties' other legal rights and duties.
Where the notice has been consented to and no further surveyor process is required, works may proceed after the applicable notice period and other requirements. A schedule or other professional input may still involve a separate cost.
For a domestic extension or loft conversion, this can be an appropriate and proportionate route where the adjoining owner is content and the notice and works are clear. It does not remove the need to follow the Act or address damage and access issues responsibly.
Total cost: from £30 plus the Schedule of Condition survey fee
Outcome C — Full dispute / Party Wall Award required
Applies where there is genuine dispute, or specific requirements need to be formally determined
For Section 3 and Section 6 notices, if your neighbour dissents or gives no written consent within 14 days, a deemed dispute can arise and the formal dispute-resolution process begins. Surveyors may then be appointed and a Party Wall Award drawn up setting out conditions for the works. Section 1 proposals for a wall astride the boundary have a different written-consent rule.
This is the more costly route, and it exists for good reason. A Party Wall Award may be necessary and appropriate where there is genuine dispute between the parties about the works or their scope, where specific access requirements, working method conditions, or protective measures need to be formally determined and recorded, where the relationship between neighbours makes an informal agreement unsuitable, or where the nature or complexity of the works demands formal legal certainty for both parties.
In those circumstances, an Award provides exactly that certainty — and our panel includes surveyors whose professional qualifications and memberships include RICS, the Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors, and the Pyramus & Thisbe Society. They are there to support you through the process. Every surveyor on our panel is bound by the requirement to charge reasonable fees for any ongoing services.
Total cost: varies by complexity — contact us for panel surveyor rates
Which outcome is most likely for your project?
For a standard rear extension, single or two-storey, on a terraced or semi-detached property, Outcome A or B may be appropriate where the notice is clear and the adjoining owner is content. A dispute may instead require the formal Award process.
A correctly prepared, plain-English notice gives your neighbour clearer information about the proposal and response options. It cannot guarantee Outcome A or B.
That's what we built this platform for.
Frequently asked questions
Does a Schedule of Condition make consent legally binding?
A Schedule of Condition records the adjoining property's condition; it does not itself make consent legally binding. Consent and any schedule should be recorded clearly in writing, and the effect of the notice still depends on its wording, service and the circumstances.
Can my neighbour change their mind after consenting?
Written consent records the adjoining owner's response, but it does not remove the building owner's statutory duties or guarantee that no later issue will arise. If concerns about damage arise, a Schedule of Condition can provide useful evidence of the property's recorded condition before the works.
What if my neighbour asks for a Schedule of Condition — do I have to agree?
A Schedule of Condition can help both parties record the property's condition. A request for one is not, by itself, a dissent and does not automatically trigger the formal Award process.
What if I'm not sure which outcome applies to me?
Start by generating your notice correctly and serving it. The response you receive determines the outcome. If your neighbour dissents or fails to respond, we'll explain exactly what happens next and connect you with the right panel surveyor for your area.