Party Wall Surveyor Cambridge

The city of Cambridge is renowned for its prestigious university, historical architecture, and beautiful green spaces. Much of the housing in Cambridge consists of terraced or semi-detached homes, often located in close proximity to neighbouring properties. When undertaking building work near the boundary or on a party wall, the Party Wall Act may come into play. For instance, during a loft conversion, it is common for steel beams to be inserted into the party wall, along with pad stones or steel bearing plates. It is also frequent to raise the party wall, often using timber frames with vertical tile hanging or other cladding types. As the building owner strips off roof tiles to construct a dormer, the party wall may be temporarily exposed to the elements. All these situations necessitate serving a party wall notice to the neighbour.

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Another prevalent type of building work in Cambridge is adding an extension to the rear or side of a property. Starting with the foundations, if they will be deeper than your neighbor's foundations or structure and within three meters of them, you will need to serve a Section 6 party wall excavation notice one month before beginning the work. This notice must be accompanied by a plan and section drawing of the excavation and the walls that will be constructed on top of it.

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Additionally, if the extension is built up to the boundary, or the "line of junction" as referred to in the Party Wall Act, there are two possibilities. Either the wall will be constructed astride the boundary, or it will be built on the building owner's side but up to the boundary. Building a party wall astride the boundary requires permission from the neighbor. In this case, you would serve a Section 1(2) notice. If the neighbor dissents or fails to respond, you would need to build the wall on your side of the boundary.

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You might choose to serve only a Section 1(5) notice to build on your side of the boundary. In this scenario, if the neighbour does not respond to your notice, there is no automatic dissent, allowing you to proceed with building the wall on your land.

When a neighbour dissents to a notice, both parties must appoint a party wall surveyor to resolve the issue under the Party Wall Act. Typically, the surveyor(s) will visit the adjoining owner's property to record a schedule of condition and then proceed with serving a party wall award to both neighbours.

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If you are planning building work near your boundary and your property is in Cambridge, contact us at Bluegrass Surveying. We offer free and impartial advice, can serve party wall notices, and act as your party wall surveyor if necessary. Get in touch with us today for expert party wall surveyor services in Cambridge, and we will be happy to assist you.