Party Wall Surveyor Costs in London: Fees, VAT and Who Pays

01

Is there an official party wall fee scale?

No. The government explanatory booklet states that surveyors’ fees are a matter for individual surveyors and that there are no set charges. Where an award is made, the Act provides for reasonable costs rather than a universal tariff.

A useful quotation should therefore identify the scope and charging basis. A low headline figure is not directly comparable with another fee unless both include the same notice, owner count, inspection, schedule, liaison and award work.

02

MS Party Wall launch fees

The launch pricing uses fixed fees where the scope can be predicted and a quotation for adjoining-owner work where the issues and time cannot fairly be known at the outset. Each total includes 20% VAT, with the net figure shown afterwards.

• Initial review: free
• Party Wall Notice: £96 including VAT (£80 excluding VAT) per adjoining owner
• Consent plus Schedule of Condition, including notice: £540 including VAT (£450 excluding VAT)
• Agreed Surveyor, one adjoining owner: £1,200 including VAT (£1,000 excluding VAT)
• Building Owner's Surveyor, separate-surveyor route: £900 including VAT (£750 excluding VAT)
• Adjoining Owner's Surveyor: On quote

03

Who usually pays the surveyors?

Where works are solely for the building owner’s benefit, the building owner will usually pay the reasonable costs associated with making the award, including reasonable adjoining-owner surveyor fees. That is a general starting point, not an unconditional rule that every cost demanded must be paid by the building owner.

Cost allocation can differ where work is required because of defect or lack of repair, where an adjoining owner requests additional work for their own benefit, or where other circumstances justify a different apportionment. The surveyor or surveyors determine relevant costs within their jurisdiction.

04

What makes a party wall matter more expensive?

The main drivers are the number of legal owners and properties, project complexity, quality of the technical information, inspection requirements, design revisions, access difficulties, the number of issues genuinely in dispute and whether damage or further awards need to be considered.

• Multiple adjoining owners or notices
• Basements, underpinning or complex temporary works
• Incomplete or frequently revised drawings
• Separate surveyors and extended liaison
• Damage allegations or additional inspections

05

How to compare quotations

Ask what the fee includes, what assumptions it relies on and what would be charged separately. For hourly work, ask for the rate and enough information to understand how time will be recorded.

The cheapest route is not always the lowest initial quotation. Early, accurate drawings and a proportionate agreed-surveyor route can reduce duplication, but only where both owners genuinely agree and the instruction is suitable.

06

Which projects do these fixed fees cover?

The published fixed fees are intended for typical private-house projects with straightforward access and documentation. Larger houses, unusually complex structures, basements, multiple adjoining properties or materially expanded scopes are quoted separately after review.