Enfield is a north London borough of interwar semis and terraces with large gardens, which makes it extension and loft conversion country. Most party wall work here is the straightforward kind: one or two adjoining owners, a rear extension, a loft conversion, and foundations within three metres of the neighbour.
The typical suburban job
A rear extension with a new flank wall at the boundary and foundations near the neighbour's, plus a loft conversion bearing steels into the party wall. That is three notifiable elements and usually one or two adjoining owners.
Serving early and well
A notice with drawings and an explanation, served two months before the intended start, is consented to far more often than a bare legal notice served four weeks out. Consent costs nothing. Two months' notice served with drawings is far more likely to be consented to than a bare notice served four weeks before the builder is due.
When an award is needed
Where the adjoining owner dissents or does not reply within fourteen days. The award then sets the working hours, the access, the schedule of condition and the fees. The award also fixes the working hours and the access arrangements, which is what most neighbours actually care about once they understand the process.
What it costs
One agreed surveyor is the cheapest route and separate appointments the dearest. Ask any quote how many adjoining owners and how many appointments it assumes. Ask each quote how many adjoining owners it assumes and whether a schedule of condition is included, because those two lines explain most of the spread.
Questions people ask about party wall surveyor enfield
Do I need a party wall notice for a rear extension in Enfield?
If the foundations fall within the section 6 distances or the wall is built at the boundary, yes. Most rear extensions do one or both.
How long before work should I serve?
Two months for work to a party structure and one month for line of junction and excavation. Earlier is better because consent, when it comes, ends the process.
What if my neighbour appoints their own surveyor?
Then two surveyors act and select a third in reserve. The building owner normally pays the reasonable fees of both.