Party Wall Schedules of Condition: Do Both Surveyors Need to Attend?
- Rectory Surveyors
- Aug 19
- 5 min read
Party Wall Schedules of Condition: Do Both Surveyors Need to Attend?
A schedule of condition is commonly prepared before notifiable work begins under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
It records the visible condition of relevant parts of the adjoining property through written observations and photographs. If damage is reported during or after the work, the schedule helps the owners and surveyors establish whether it was already present. Where each owner appoints a separate surveyor, must both surveyors attend the inspection? The short answer is no. The Act does not require both appointed surveyors to attend. One surveyor may prepare the schedule and the other may review and agree it, provided that the record is detailed, accurate and reliable.
Is a Schedule of Condition Required by the Act?
The Act does not expressly require a schedule of condition. Nevertheless, it is established good practice and is frequently attached to the Party Wall Award. It may help the adjoining owner demonstrate that damage is new, while protecting the building owner against claims concerning pre-existing defects. Its usefulness depends upon the quality of the record rather than its length alone.
Who Normally Prepares the Schedule?
There is no fixed statutory rule.
The building owner’s surveyor frequently prepares it because the building owner is initiating the work and will normally meet the reasonable costs of the statutory process. In other cases, the adjoining owner’s surveyor may undertake the inspection. The surveyors should agree the arrangement between themselves. The important issue is whether the finished schedule provides an accurate and sufficiently comprehensive record.
Does the Other Surveyor Need to Inspect Separately?
Not necessarily. If one surveyor has prepared a detailed written and photographic record, the other can review it and request corrections, clarification or additional photographs. A second inspection may add little where the work is straightforward, relevant areas were accessible and the record is clear. The reviewing surveyor must have an opportunity to comment and should not approve an inadequate schedule simply because another professional prepared it.
When Is a Joint Inspection Appropriate?
There are circumstances in which attendance by both surveyors may be reasonable. Examples include basement excavation, underpinning, significant demolition, extensive existing cracking, fragile historic finishes, previous allegations of construction damage or an unusual structural condition. A joint inspection allows both surveyors to observe the same conditions and may reduce disagreement about whether an important defect was adequately recorded. The decision should reflect the actual technical risk rather than an assumption that every task must be duplicated.
What Should the Schedule Contain?
A reliable schedule should allow a person who did not attend the inspection to understand the visible condition of the relevant areas. It should identify the rooms and external areas inspected; the condition of relevant walls, ceilings, floors and finishes; existing cracking, staining, distortion and deterioration; the position and approximate extent of significant defects; concealed or inaccessible areas; the inspection date; and the photographs corresponding with each observation. Photographs should include contextual views as well as close images. Descriptions should remain factual: the schedule is a record of visible condition, not a structural survey or diagnosis of every defect.
Does Every Crack Need to Be Measured?
It is not necessary to measure every minor decorative imperfection. Significant cracks should, however, be described clearly enough to allow later comparison. The surveyor may record approximate dimensions, direction, pattern, materials affected and associated displacement. Crack width should not be considered in isolation; location and continuity may be more useful if movement is later alleged.
Which Parts of the Property Should Be Included?
The scope should relate to the location and nature of the proposed work. For excavation beside an adjoining house, the record may concentrate upon the neighbouring flank wall, lower floors, rear rooms and nearby external areas. For a loft conversion, relevant areas may include upper-floor rooms, ceilings, chimney breasts, party walls and accessible roof spaces. Potentially affected areas should not be omitted, but the schedule need not cover parts having no reasonable connection with the notifiable work.
What If an Area Is Inaccessible?
Furniture, possessions, fitted cupboards and floor coverings may prevent a complete inspection. The limitation should be recorded clearly. A concealed surface should not be described as free from defects when it could not be seen. Where an inaccessible area is particularly relevant, access may be requested before work begins. A conventional schedule will not normally include moving heavy furniture, lifting fitted finishes or destructive opening up.
Does the Schedule Prove the Cause of Later Damage?
No. It records visible condition at a particular time. If damage is reported, the surveyors must still consider when it appeared, its position relative to the work and whether the construction provides a credible cause. Leakage, unrelated movement, accidental impact or ordinary deterioration may also require consideration. The schedule is important evidence, but causation must be assessed from all available information.
What If the Work Is Delayed?
A substantial delay between inspection and commencement can reduce the schedule’s reliability. Cracking, leakage or deterioration may occur during the intervening period for reasons unrelated to the notified work.
Where the delay is significant, the surveyors should consider whether an update inspection or supplementary photographic record is required. This can be much simpler than preparing the entire schedule again.
Who Pays for the Inspection?
Where work is solely for the building owner’s benefit, that owner will normally meet the reasonable cost of preparing the Award and schedule. If attendance by both surveyors is justified by the complexity of the work or the condition of the adjoining property, the associated cost may be reasonable. Where a second inspection would merely duplicate an adequate record without material benefit, the additional cost may be questioned.
The arrangement should remain proportionate to the work, the condition recorded and the level of risk.
Do Both Surveyors Need to Attend?
No. A joint inspection may be appropriate for complex or higher-risk work, but it is not an automatic statutory requirement. For many residential projects, one surveyor can prepare the schedule and the other can review, amend and agree it. The emphasis should be upon the quality and completeness of the evidence rather than the number of surveyors present. A carefully prepared schedule protects both owners. An unnecessary duplicate inspection may simply increase costs without improving that protection.
Need Advice About a Party Wall Schedule of Condition?
Rectory Surveyors Ltd advises building owners and adjoining owners throughout London and the surrounding areas. We prepare and review schedules of condition, serve Party Wall Notices and act as Building Owner’s Surveyor, Adjoining Owner’s Surveyor or Agreed Surveyor under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
To learn more, please visit:
Telephone: 020 7249 4954
Email: info@rectorysurveyors.co.uk
Rectory Surveyors are experts in building and surveying, friendly and experienced, with a high degree of professionalism for all your surveying requirements. Learn more >
T: 020 7249 4954
E: info@rectorysurveyors.co.uk
