Party walls and boundaries
When does GOV.UK say party-wall notice has to be given?
Between two months and a year before the planned start of the work the Act covers. That work includes building on or at a boundary, work to a party wall or party structure, and excavation near a neighbour’s foundations. A home survey does not serve notice, and a condition rating does not start the clock.
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?
The neighbour can agree or disagree. If they disagree, the Act sets out how the dispute is resolved. None of that is written in the margins of a Level 2. If you are buying a house where work has already been done, the question is whether notice was given at the time. Your solicitor asks. The surveyor looks at the cracks and the finishes that exist now.
Do not delay exchange “for the party-wall year” unless the work is yours and still in the future. Completed work is a paperwork question about the past. Future work is a notice question about your plans. This page states no surveyor’s fee for an award.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Is any of the work you are worried about still proposed, or already finished?
- Did you see physical signs of cutting into a shared wall?
- Are you expecting me to say whether notice was valid? That is legal, not a rating.
What are the typical next steps?
- Tell your solicitor about work you intend as well as work the seller did.
- Do not serve notice yourself by copying a survey paragraph.
- If you need the procedure, use the GOV.UK party-wall guidance rather than a forum template.
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 two-month period apply in Scotland?
The Act as GOV.UK describes it is for England and Wales. Scotland has different rules. Ask a Scottish solicitor.
Can notice be given the day you buy?
GOV.UK’s window is tied to the start of the work, not to completion of your purchase. Read the timing against the work, not against exchange.