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Party walls and boundaries

Is a party wall award the same thing as a condition rating?

No. In England and Wales the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 produces notices and, if there is a dispute, awards about specific work. A condition rating describes the building the surveyor could see. GOV.UK is clear that an agreement under the Act does not replace planning permission or building regulations, and those permissions do not replace the Act. The survey grants none of them.

Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.

What is the fuller explanation?

A seller may hold an old award for a loft or an extension. That award is about the work it names, not a warranty that the wall is sound today. The surveyor can read it if you give it to them. They do not become a party-wall surveyor by doing a home survey, and this page does not quote party-wall fees because the GOV.UK guide is a procedure, not a price list.

If your own planned work will cut into a shared wall or excavate near the neighbour, serve the right notice before you start. GOV.UK says notice is given between two months and a year before the planned start. Do not treat a rating 2 on pointing as that notice.

What should you ask your surveyor?

  • Have you been shown any award, and which work does it cover?
  • Are you describing cracks, or are you being asked to confirm the Act was followed?
  • Is the wall actually shared, or is that still a solicitor’s question?

What are the typical next steps?

  1. Give any award to your solicitor and, if you want it read against the cracks, to the surveyor.
  2. Do not start work on a party wall because the home survey came back.
  3. Budget any party-wall process from quotes under the Act, not from the condition ratings.

Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.

Also asked about this

Does the neighbour’s signature on a text count?

GOV.UK describes notice under the Act. A text is not that procedure. Ask your solicitor.

Is an award a building-regulations completion certificate?

No. They are separate. You can need both.

Sources