The Party Wall etc. Act 1996
- What is it?
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 means that certain building works must be registered and notified, meaning your neighbours may be entitled to notice prior to any work commencing.
The Act allows work to be carried out on a party wall, a party fence wall or another boundary whilst protecting the interests of all parties affected by the work.
Not all walls are the same...
A PARTY WALL is a wall that exists as part of a building, and which stands on land owned by more than one party. A wall which sits on a single owners land, but which has been enclosed by the adjoining owner, is also deemed a party wall.
A PARTY FENCE WALL is a wall which stands on the land of different owners and which separates different parcels of land. Older properties with a BOUNDARY WALL separating large gardens and land are often party fence walls.
How this might affect you
If you’re planning any building work at all in your home, your land and any other property you own, there’s a good chance some of the work will fall within the remit of the Party Wall Act.
Structural alterations (including chimney breast removal), damp proofing, building an extension and even many simple alterations or repairs, including work on floors between flats, is likely to be affected.
You’ll likely also need to follow the procedures laid out in the Act if you’re excavating (for example taking up an old floor and having to dig down to previous layers) or creating new foundations. Any work like this within 3 or 6 metres of a neighbouring property or structure, (depending on the depth of the work) is liable.
Creating a new boundary wall?
Then yes, probably liable.
And work your neighbour may be planning might mean you’re entitled to notice.
If all this is a little bewildering,
don’t worry....
We’ve worked on every scenario imaginable when it comes to Party Walls, so why not give us a call or drop us a line.
We're here to make things simple, and to make sure that there are no hiccups getting in the way of the work you’re planning to do.