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Party Wall etc. Act 1996

Party Wall Notices — Section 1, 3 and 6, drafted in minutes

The notices building owners must serve before notifiable works. Section 1 (new walls at boundary), Section 3 (work to a party structure), Section 6 (excavation within 3m or 6m). All three covered, with auto-calculated response deadlines and adjoining owner tracking.

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What's in the notice

Statutory notice format under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.

  1. ABuilding owner detailsName, correspondence address, designated surveyor (if appointed), agent details, signature.
  2. BAdjoining owner detailsPer adjoining owner: name, address, freeholder vs leaseholder >1 year, identifying boundary feature.
  3. CNotice type & sectionSection 1 (new walls at boundary), Section 3 (work to party structure), Section 6 (excavation within 3m or 6m). Multiple sections can be combined in one notice.
  4. DDescription of worksPlain-English description of intended works, drawings annexed (architect's plans, structural engineer's calcs), proposed start date.
  5. EResponse optionsPre-formatted consent / dissent / non-response paths, auto-calculated 14-day response deadline, dispute trigger if no response.
  6. FService evidenceDate of service, method (recorded delivery / personal service / email if agreed), photo of envelope or read receipt.

Notice service timeline

Statutory deadlines under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.

Day 0
Notice served

Building owner serves the relevant section notice on each adjoining owner. Notice must be at least 2 months before Section 3 works start, or at least 1 month before Section 6 excavation works.

Day 14
Response deadline

Adjoining owner must respond in writing within 14 days. They can consent, dissent (which automatically triggers a "deemed dispute"), or fail to respond (also deemed dispute).

Days 14–42
Surveyor appointment

If a dispute is deemed, each owner appoints a surveyor (one each, or an agreed single surveyor). Surveyors then have to publish a Party Wall Award (see the Party Wall Award template).

Day 60+
Award published / works begin

Once consent is given or an Award is published, notifiable works can proceed in line with the agreed terms. Works started without notice are tortious and the building owner has no statutory protection.

Party Wall Notice FAQs

Which works require a Party Wall Notice?
Three categories: (1) Section 1 — building a new wall at or astride the boundary. (2) Section 3 — work to a party structure (cutting away, raising, underpinning, repairing, demolishing). (3) Section 6 — excavating within 3m of an adjoining structure to a depth lower than its foundations, or within 6m if the excavation is below a 45° downward line from the foundations.
Who can serve a notice?
The building owner (anyone with a freehold or leasehold >1 year intending to do notifiable works) serves the notice. They can serve it themselves or via a surveyor or solicitor. The notice must be in writing, identify the building owner, describe the works, and propose a start date.
What happens if an adjoining owner doesn't respond?
Failure to respond within 14 days creates a deemed dispute. The building owner can either appoint a surveyor on the adjoining owner's behalf (under Section 10(4)) or escalate; in practice, surveyors then prepare a Party Wall Award. The Act prevents adjoining owners from blocking works simply by refusing to engage.
Can one notice cover multiple sections?
Yes. Where a project includes (e.g.) excavation under Section 6 and work to a party wall under Section 3, both can be covered in a single notice. The template combines section selection so the same document captures all notifiable elements.
What's the difference between a Notice and an Award?
The Notice is the building owner's statutory communication of intent to do notifiable works. The Award is the surveyors' subsequent document recording the agreed terms once a dispute has been deemed (see the Party Wall Award template). One leads to the other.

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