How to Check If a Party Wall Award is Genuine or Fake
Check that it names the owners, the properties and the surveyors, describes the work, and is signed and dated. Then contact the surveyor directly, using details you have found yourself, to confirm they made it.
Your action checklist
- Check the award names both owners and both properties correctly.
- Confirm it names the surveyor or surveyors and is signed and dated.
- Look up the surveyor on their professional body's own website.
- Contact them using details you found independently, not those on the document.
- Compare the work described with the notice you received.
- Check the date you received it, because the 14-day appeal period runs from then.
What a proper award contains
An award sets out the work allowed, how and when it is done, access, security if any, a schedule of condition where agreed, and who pays the costs. It is served on both owners.
It should be clear and specific. A vague one-page letter that calls itself an award is worth questioning.
Good sign
- Names both owners, properties and surveyors accurately
- Describes the work in detail and matches the notice
- Signed and dated by the surveyor or surveyors
- Surveyor confirms it when contacted independently
- Sets out costs and access in clear terms
Warning sign
- No prior notice or dispute you know about
- Surveyor cannot be found or will not confirm
- Vague wording and missing dates or signatures
- Demands immediate payment to a personal account
- Pressure to act before you can take advice
Signs of a problem
Be careful if you never had a notice, never heard of the surveyor, or are asked for money straight away. Watch for wrong property addresses, missing dates or contact details that do not match public records.
Do not pay anything until you have verified who the surveyor is. Anyone can be appointed as a party wall surveyor, so status alone is not proof.
If you are unsure
Ask a different party wall surveyor to review it. If you think it is fraudulent, consider reporting it to the police or Action Fraud. Keep the original document and envelope.
Why this matters
An award has legal consequences, including a short period to appeal and obligations about access, work and costs. Treating a fake as real could lead you to pay money you do not owe or allow work you did not agree to. Treating a genuine one as fake could mean missing your chance to appeal. Verification takes only a few phone calls, so do it promptly and keep a note of the answers.
Genuine or not
The panel below summarises what to look for.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a public register of awards?
No. Awards are private documents between the owners and surveyors.
Can I appeal a fake award?
Take urgent advice. Time limits apply to genuine awards, and you should not ignore any document.
Who should I call?
The surveyor named, using independently found details. Or a solicitor.
What if the neighbour produced it?
Ask for the surveyor's contact details and verify directly.
Related guides
- Party Wall Notices, Awards, and Agreements Explained
- What Happens If a Neighbour Ignores a Party Wall Award and Carries On?
- How to Properly Challenge or Appeal a Party Wall Award in County Court
- How to Verify a Party Wall Surveyor's Credentials (RICS vs Faculty vs Pyramus & Thisbe)
Last updated: . This page is general information about the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 (England and Wales). It is not legal advice. Every property and dispute is different, so take advice from a party wall surveyor or a solicitor before you act.