RAYLEIGH
THE PARTY WALL PEOPLE
Are you in Rayleigh and need an expert surveyor to implement the Party Wall Etc. Act 1996 ? We can prepare and serve party wall notices, we undertake schedules of condition and if required, produce and serve party wall awards (party wall agreements).
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​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 sets out to protect property owners' interests when a project is required, while at the same time ensuring that the project can continue in a timely manner.
The Act requires that when an owner of a property carries out certain works such as digging a foundation within 3m of their neighbour's property, removing a chimney from a party wall, cutting into a party wall for steelwork or building a new wall on the boundary (line of junction), they inform all affected neighbours of their intention by serving the correct notices.
Rayleigh’s geography is dominated by the Rayleigh Hills, providing a mix of steep slopes and high-ground plots. The vernacular is varied, featuring everything from Victorian cottages near the Windmill to extensive 1960s bungalows and modern family homes. Because many Rayleigh homes are built on slopes, retaining structures are often used. If you are excavating to create a level patio or a new extension on a hill, you may be removing the lateral support that the neighbour’s garden relies on. This is a critical party wall issue that we manage through detailed method statements.
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Geologically, Rayleigh sits on a cap of Bagshot Sands overlying the "Claygate Member" and London Clay. This sandy top layer provides good drainage but can be prone to "running" if water is present. When digging foundations in Rayleigh, it is not uncommon to find the soil consistency changing from sand to stiff clay within the space of a few feet. We ensure that your party wall award accounts for these variable conditions, protecting the Adjoining Owner from any ground movement caused by the transition between different soil types during the build.
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Please contact us for free party wall advice.
PEOPLE OF RAYLEIGH HAVE WONDERED
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CAN I START WITHOUT A PARTY WALL AWARD?
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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 has been served. However, you may be able to do some works related to the project which have been approved by planning approval for example. Lots of 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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Most of the time, 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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Yes, you are able to produce and serve your own notices… But if they are served incorrectly they are invalid, and 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.
DO I NEED PERMISSION TO PUT UP A SHELF OR MOVE AN ELECTRICAL SOCKET?​
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This sort of work would be considered to be minor and such works would not need to be notified under the Act.
WHAT ABOUT A TIMBER FENCE - IS THAT 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..
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WHEN DO I NEED TO NOTIFY MY NEIGHBOURS?
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Timing is really important, so reviewing your project with a Party Wall Surveyor to run through your project and check if any elements will require serving notice removes 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 has been 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 within the required timeframe. If this happens then the Act allows you to appoint another Surveyor on their behalf so that a Party Wall 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 is illegal to begin any 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.
CAN THE ACT BE USED TO LOCATE A BOUNDARY?
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No, The Act is not the tool to resolve boundary disputes and party wall surveyors have no powers to do so… The Act cannot be applied until a boundary dispute is resolved. In the case of a section 6 notice, which deals with excavations within a certain distance of the adjoining owner's property, the boundary location is irrelevant.