The general rule
Under the Act, the surveyors decide in the award who pays the costs of making it. Where work is done for the building owner's benefit, such as a loft conversion, an extension or a basement, those costs fall on the building owner. That includes the fee of a surveyor you appoint to act for you.
"Reasonable" fees
Your surveyor's fees have to be reasonable for the work involved. A building owner can query fees they think are excessive, and in the end they can be decided by the surveyors or the third surveyor. Choose a surveyor whose fees are clear from the start.
When you might contribute
There are a few situations where an adjoining owner can bear some of the cost:
- Repairs needed because of defects in a shared wall, where the work also benefits you
- Using extra height if you later build onto a wall your neighbour has raised
- Work you ask for, beyond what the neighbour is doing, for your own benefit
These are the exceptions. For a typical neighbour's extension or loft, you should expect to pay nothing.
What about your time?
The Act does not pay you for your time, but the surveyors will arrange inspections at reasonable times, and the award can deal with access arrangements to keep disruption down.
Common questions
Will I get a bill from the surveyor?
Normally the award directs the building owner to pay, so the surveyor bills them directly.
What if the work never goes ahead?
Surveyors' fees for work already done are usually still the building owner's responsibility, as the process began because of their notice.
Where this comes from in the Act
Links go to the official text of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 on legislation.gov.uk.