The government publishes template notices as part of its explanatory booklet on the Act, and they are the only templates worth starting from, because they are written against the sections they serve. What a template cannot do is decide which section applies, identify the adjoining owners or describe your works, and those three things are what makes a notice valid.
Use the official templates as the base
The explanatory booklet contains example notices for works to a party structure, for a new wall at the line of junction and for excavation. Starting from the right one saves a re service, because a notice citing the wrong section is not a notice at all.
Fill in the parts a template leaves blank
The description of the works, the intended start date, the names of all the owners and the address of the building owner for service of a reply. A blank left in a notice is an invitation to dissent, and a wrong name is an invalid notice.
Do not use an award template
An award is written by appointed surveyors and reflects the building, the works and the negotiation. Templates circulating online for awards are the wrong instrument in the wrong hands, and a home made award binds nobody.
Keep the paperwork together
The notice, the proof of service, the consent or the appointment, the award and the schedule of condition are one bundle. Buyers' solicitors ask for it on sale, and a missing award is a question that has to be answered at exactly the wrong moment.
Questions people ask about party wall notice template
Is there a free party wall notice template?
Yes. The government booklet on the Act contains example notices and is free to download. Commercial template sites generally reproduce them.
Can I write my own notice?
Yes. There is no prescribed form, only required content: the owner's name and address, the building, the works, the section relied on and the date. The templates exist to make sure nothing is missed.
Does a template need to be signed?
The notice should be signed by or on behalf of the building owner. Where an agent serves it, the notice should say so and name the owner.