Projects & structural guides

Lofts, extensions, RSJs, chimneys, basements and more.

• Party Wall Rules for Loft ConversionsYes, many loft conversions need party wall notices, but not all. If the work cuts into, raises, or thickens a party wall, or adds beams bearing on…
• Party Wall Rules for Home ExtensionsA home extension will often fall under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. It applies if you build on or astride the boundary, cut into an existing party…
• Party Wall Rules for Basement ConversionsBasement conversions nearly always involve the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Digging down below neighbouring foundations, or underpinning a shared wall,…
• Party Wall Rules for Installing an RSJ (Rolled Steel Joist)Yes, if the RSJ bears on or is set into a party wall, you normally need to serve a party wall notice. Inserting a steel beam is listed work under…
• Damp Proofing Injection on a Party Wall: Do I Need a Surveyor?Often, yes. Inserting a damp proof course into a party wall is listed work under Section 2 of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, so a notice is normally…
• Chimney Breast Removal and the Party Wall Act: Step-by-Step RulesRemoving a chimney breast that forms part of a party wall usually needs a party wall notice. It is listed work under Section 2 of the Party Wall etc.…
• Excavations and Foundational Underpinning: Party Wall Rules ExplainedUnderpinning a party wall is Section 2 work, and excavation near a neighbouring building can fall under Section 6. Notices are needed in both cases.…
• Garden Walls and Boundary Fences: When Does the Party Wall Act Apply?The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies to some garden walls but not to ordinary timber fences. A masonry wall standing on the boundary between two…
• Shared Drainage and Sewers: Party Wall vs Water Authority RulesShared drains and sewers are mostly a matter for the water company and building regulations, not the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. The Act can still…
• Do I Need a Party Wall Agreement for Cavity Wall Insulation?Usually not. Cavity wall insulation blown into the external walls of your own house is normally outside the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. The position is…
• Replacing a Shared Boundary Fence: Party Wall Act vs Common LawOrdinary timber fences are not covered by the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, so you generally do not need to serve a party wall notice to replace one.…
• Do I Need a Party Wall Surveyor to Re-Point a Shared Brick Wall?Usually not. Routine re-pointing of a party wall is generally treated as maintenance, not the kind of work listed in the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. If…
• Installing Solar Panels Near a Neighbour's Roofline: Party Wall RulesSolar panels fixed wholly to your own roof usually do not trigger the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. A notice may be needed if the installation cuts into,…
• CCTV and Drainage Surveys: Do They Fall Under the Party Wall Act?Generally not. A CCTV drainage survey looks at pipes and does not alter a party wall, so the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 does not normally apply.…
• Removing an External Conservatory Built Against a Party WallIt depends on how the conservatory is attached. Demolishing one that simply abuts a wall may not need a notice. If the removal cuts into the party…