East London is one of the busiest building corridors in the capital: loft conversions in Walthamstow, side-returns in Hackney, basement digs near Victoria Park and new extensions from Stratford to Ilford. Almost all of that work happens hard against a shared wall or a neighbour’s foundations – which means the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies far more often than most owners realise. Kingston Surveyors arranges experienced RICS party wall surveyors across East London, for building owners who need notices served correctly and for adjoining owners who have just received one and want their property protected.
We arrange the full range of party wall services throughout East London – Hackney, Stratford, Walthamstow, Leyton, Bow, Bethnal Green, Ilford and the surrounding postcodes: preparation and service of valid party wall notices; party wall awards (agreements) for loft conversions, rear and side extensions, chimney breast removals and basement excavations; photographic schedules of condition to protect both properties before work starts; and adjoining owner representation where your neighbour is the one building. East London’s stock – tight Victorian terraces with shared walls on both sides – makes accurate schedules especially valuable, because pre-existing cracks are common and disputes about “new” damage are easy to avoid when the evidence is on file.
The sequence is set by the Act. The building owner serves notice – two months before work to the wall itself, one month for excavation within three or six metres. If the adjoining owner consents in writing, work can proceed, ideally protected by a schedule of condition. If they dissent or stay silent for 14 days, surveyors are appointed: one agreed surveyor acting impartially for both sides, or one each. The surveyor produces a party wall award recording how and when the work happens, access arrangements and protection for the neighbouring building. The building owner normally pays the reasonable fees on both sides. Done properly, the process protects everyone; done badly – or skipped – it can stop a project with an injunction.
Kingston Surveyors matches your job to an RICS party wall surveyor who knows East London’s housing stock and works to fixed fees agreed upfront – see our party wall surveyor cost guide for typical figures. Enquiries are answered the same working day, notices can usually be drafted within days, and we cover every East London borough as well as the rest of the capital. Call 0204 579 8270 or use the quote form below for a free, no-obligation quote.
