You are right, so many different terms, but normally talking about the same thing. The Official Title for the Legislation is the Party Wall etc Act 1996. But often also referred to as "the Act" "the '96 Act" the Party Wall Act the Third-party Act party wall legislation We'll add others when we hear them!

Yes, in many situations an Agreed Surveyor is a great option.

Yes, if you are the neighbour (not the one undertaking the building work), then you are the 'Adjoining Owner'. You can appoint us, and we will be the "Adjoining Owner's Surveyor". We might also talk to you first about options of the Agreed Surveyor.

Yes, if you are the owner undertaking the Building Work, then you are the 'Building Owner'. You can appoint us, and we will be the "Building Owner's Surveyor". We might also talk to you about options of the Agreed Surveyor.

If you are one of the owners then the Surveyors that you and your neighbour have already appointed [The Building Owner's Surveyor and the Adjoining Owner's Surveyor] can 'select' Mark Pearce, from Smart Surveyor, as the Third Surveyor. The Owners cannot select or appoint a Third Surveyor, but if you have appointed someone either as a Building Owner's Surveyor or as an Adjoining Owner's Surveyor, then they should tell you who they have 'selected', and when/how you can contact the Third Surveyor.

If a neighbour does not respond within the usual time allowed, the matter does not just stop there. The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 has a process for this, and we can guide you through the next steps so the work can move forward properly and fairly. If you’re unsure what to do next, it’s best to ask early — that usually saves time and avoids extra stress.

What Smart Surveyor says > We cannot give specific advice where we have not seen the drawings, details of the proposed works, or the Party Wall Notices. But in general, for works that fall under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, work cannot usually start until at least 1 or 2 months after a valid Notice has been served (depending on the type of work). Even then, work can only begin once either:The Adjoining Owner has given written Consent; orA Party Wall Award has been agreed and issued.The Adjoining Owner can agree to an earlier start date, but they are not required to do so.So (Q1) can you start building work this week? No, you should not start any notifiable works. And for (Q2) what are the next steps? Read on...If you are still within the notice response period:-The Adjoining Owner has 14 days to respond to a valid Notice.If they do not Consent within that time, a Dispute is deemed (considered) to have arisen.Once a Dispute exists, both parties must either appoint an Agreed Surveyor or appoint their own Surveyors.The Notifiable works cannot start until the Dispute has been resolved.The Surveyor(s) will resolve the Dispute by preparing and issuing a Party Wall Award, which will set out when work can begin. If you are unsure about how the Party Wall etc Act 1996 applies to your situation, we would need to carry out a full review before providing specific advice.If you would like our assistancePlease request a fee quotation.- Before we can provide a quote, we would need copies of the Notices and any accompanying drawings.What to do now:-We hope this general information is helpful. However, we strongly recommend obtaining advice based on your specific circumstances before taking any further action.

Yes! We are currently updating our FAQs. If we can explain construction terms... we're just waiting for the finishing touches! If we've not got your question published yet with an answer, you can always email us.