party wall survey

[marsaday]

Any idea on a cost of a PW survey? I spoke today to a surveyor and he said £500-600 plus VAT. He explained there would be 2 visits.

It just seems a lot of money and wondered if this was normal. i am only using the party wall to hang 1/2 my attic floor off. It is not a major PW issue and so cannot see as much work as say a basement excavation, for example.

 

[DevilDamo]

That sounds about right. The notices/surveys are usually priced on per neighbour notification. It'll cost you a lot more than £500 if you were to proceed without it... "if" anything was to go wrong. It's up to you if you want to take that risk and just have an agreement with the relevant parties as opposed in having a surveyor employed.

 

[marsaday]

i hope that is what they go for, but it is up to them not me. if they want a surveyor then i have to agree.

any idea what happens if i dont get a party wall agreement.

i am bolting joist hangers to the wall which is 230mm thick. i will be drilling 85mm into the wall to locate the bolts.

is there really something that could go wrong with this type of build.

the SE has said the "imposed" loading on the wall from the floor = 3.75 kN per metre.

I understand this is a light load.

 

[DevilDamo]

Yeh, that's right. They can choose to employ their own surveyor, which is what a lot of neighbours do. If the works are carried out correctly and are co-ordinated properly, then the only monies you'd be looking at paying would be yours and the third party's surveyor fee's.

Like I said before, for the sake of £500 (plus any other surveyor fee's), it may save you money in the long term if something was to happen and your neighbours were to take it further.

As also said, it's entirely up to you how you'd proceed.

 

[alanthomaswatson]

I have to advise getting a PW award in place, especially given that you're carrying out works to a party wall which will involve adding bearing weight to them.

I have experience of this in the past and you have to bear in mind that it's not the cost of it now, but as has been pointed out the cost of it if something goes wrong. Bear in mind that you're not just opening yourself up to claims for any damage that you actually cause but also God-knows-what else in the process. You may find yourself being held up for repairing cracks/defects that have been there for years. Get an agreed schedule of condition done before commencing any works.

Technically the Party Wall Etc Act hasn't been tested yet, and it's criticised for lacking teeth in the event of a breach so you may be able to wing it, but I wouldn't risk it.