EPPING
THE PARTY WALL PEOPLE
We implement the Party Wall Etc. Act 1996 in Epping. We can help you by preparing and serving party wall notices,
undertake schedules of condition and if required, produce and serve party wall awards (party wall agreements).
Our 100% 5-star rating on Google speaks to our professional, personal and expert service we provide in Epping and elsewhere in Essex.
​We hold membership with the Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors (FPWS) and the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE)
We carry Public Liability and Professional Indemnity Insurance.
​The Party Wall People are based in Chelmsford, Essex and travel to client’s premises all over the southeast of England.
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If you have any questions about the party wall act, please feel free to contact us for a free, no obligation consultation.
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 is essential reading if you are about to embark on building work at your property in Epping.
If you are in Epping and your property shares a wall with a neighbouring building, or is fairly close and you are wondering whether you will need an agreement regarding the Party Wall before you start work - don’t worry! The Party Wall People can help you with free advice.
Our website has some free resources that are available to you. It is really worth doing your research and checking if you need this even if you are planning a modest loft conversion, or a small extension.
We can review things for you if you want to email your drawings to us we will review them and get back to you promptly. give us a call for a chat or send an email - contact us
Epping is a lovely area where we often see high-end renovations and substantial extensions to older, characterful properties. The vernacular is a mix of traditional Essex red-brick and timber-framed buildings. A common request in Epping is for a good quality Schedule of Condition survey for historic properties; if your neighbour lives in a Grade II listed cottage, the level of detail required in our survey is sufficiently high to capture relevant details. Having a good quality survey report can be used later to protect both parties from claims of damage to delicate building fabric.
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The town is situated on the Epping Forest ridge, meaning the geology consists of Claygate Member (sandy clay) overlying the deeper London Clay. This combination can lead to "slippage" on sloped sites. When a homeowner in Epping decides to level a garden or build an extension on a hill, the risk of "lateral movement" to the neighbour’s property is significant. It is important to consider the structural sequence of works to ensure the hillside remains stable throughout the build.
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Contact us for party wall advice. 01245 526 762
ARE YOU WONDERING ABOUT THESE QUESTIONS?
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CAN I START WITHOUT A PARTY WALL AGREEMENT?
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You can’t start any of the notifiable works without a consent from your neighbour or until a Party Wall Award is served. However, you may be able to do other work on your project which have been approved by planning approval for example. Some people serve the notices and even get an award in place before planning is approved to save time.
WHO WILL PAY THE FEES?
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Usually the Surveyors fees are covered by the Building Owner. The cost of two different surveyors will usually be higher than that of an Agreed Surveyor. It is worth knowing that the time to agree the Party Wall Award might also be longer.
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CAN I JUST SERVE MY OWN PARTY WALL NOTICE?
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You are able to produce and serve your own notices… But if they are served incorrectly they are invalid you will need to start all over again which could delay the start of your project. Having this done early on by a Party Wall Surveyor will deal with this potential risk.
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WHEN DO I NEED TO TELL MY NEIGHBOURS?
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Timing is important, running through your project to check if any elements will require serving notice can remove stress from the project early on, allowing you to concentrate on the rest of the job. We would recommend getting in touch as soon as a planning application is submitted, if you intend to begin works promptly.
CAN MY NEIGHBOUR STOP MY PROJECT?
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Your neighbour can’t stop you carrying out the project by not responding. If this happens then the Act allows you to appoint another Surveyor on their behalf so that an Agreement/Award can be served. You can’t have an Agreed Surveyor in this scenario.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS IF I DON’T SERVE A NOTICE?
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It's illegal to start notifiable works without a notice. Your neighbour has the right to serve an injunction and stop the work.
If you have done some work which might hinder your neighbour’s ability to have a project of their own, without serving the correct notice, you will be liable to compensate for any remediation or damages caused under common law. You will have to cover the cost for undoing this work and any related design fees.
DO I NEED TO INFORM MY NEIGHBOUR IF I WANT TO PUT UP A SHELF OR MOVE AN ELECTRICAL SOCKET?​
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These examples of work would be considered to be minor and such works would not need to be notified under the Act.
IS A TIMBER FENCE A PARTY WALL?
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No, although references are sometimes made to shared or 'party fences'. These do not fall under the Act..