How to know if you need a party wall agreement
A quick way to tell whether your project needs party wall notices, and when an agreement or award follows.
- Free initial consultation
- 5.0 from 15 Google reviews
In short
You need to serve notice if you'll build on the boundary, work on a shared wall, or dig within 3 m (sometimes 6 m) of a neighbour's building below its foundations. A party wall award, often called an agreement, is only needed if the neighbour dissents or doesn't reply within 14 days.
Three questions to ask
- Will I build a new wall on or up to the boundary? If yes, Section 1.
- Will I cut into, raise, underpin or otherwise alter a wall I share with a neighbour? If yes, Section 2.
- Will I dig within 3 m of a neighbour's building, deeper than its foundations? If yes, Section 6.
Use our notice checker to work it out in a minute.
Common projects and what they usually need
| Project | Usual notices |
|---|---|
| Mid-terrace loft conversion | Section 2 to both neighbours |
| Single-storey rear extension | Section 6, often Section 1 |
| Chimney breast removal | Section 2 |
| Basement | Section 6 and usually Section 2 |
| New garden wall on the boundary | Section 1 |
Notice first, agreement second
The legal requirement is to serve notice. Whether you then need an award depends on your neighbour's reply. Consent means no award. Dissent, or silence, means surveyors are appointed. Talking to your neighbours before serving notice makes consent far more likely.
Common questions
Can my neighbour refuse a party wall agreement?
They can dissent, but that doesn't stop the work. It means surveyors are appointed to make an award setting out how the work is done.
Source: Party Wall etc. Act 1996 (applies in England and Wales).
Written by Guy Crouch BSc (Hons) MRICS, Director and Chartered Building Surveyor at Manchester Party Wall Surveyors. Last reviewed 26 October 2026. This page is general guidance, not legal advice. About our team
Planning work near a neighbour?
Speak to a chartered surveyor before you start, not after.