Party Wall Surveyor in Greenford

UB6 — inter-war semis, post-war estates and larger plots where a loft, rear extension or new build meets the party wall

Grey & Associates are party wall surveyors in Greenford, covering UB6, Greenford Broadway, Oldfield Lane, Perivale, Sudbury Hill and the A40 corridor. We act for owners building and for neighbours receiving notice. Fixed fees start at £165 + VAT per adjoining property.

Key takeaway

Greenford is predominantly inter-war and post-war semi-detached housing. The party wall runs the length of the building, so a loft conversion, rear extension or chimney-breast removal that looks self-contained can still be notifiable. The cases are usually one neighbour and one notice, which is why they sit comfortably on the fixed fee.

If a notice has arrived and you own a flat in a converted house or block, the position is usually stronger than people assume: in a dispute the Building Owner pays the reasonable fees of both sides' surveyors.

What Greenford cases turn on

The semi-detached party wall runs the whole depth

Most Greenford projects are loft conversions, single-storey rear extensions or kitchen reconfigurations in 1930s semis. The party wall between the two houses continues through the roof and along the rear elevation, so work that stays inside the house can still touch the shared structure at the roof, the floor or the chimney breast.

That is the point owners most often miss. The project may be entirely within their own title, but the Act is concerned with the shared structure, not the title boundary.

Lofts, rear extensions and chimney breasts

Cutting a steel beam into the party wall, raising the wall to form a gable, forming a dormer on the boundary or removing a shared chimney breast are all section 2 work with a two-month notice period. A rear extension that requires new foundations within three metres of the neighbour's structure brings section 6 in as well.

In Greenford the footings are often shallow enough that the three-metre test is met sooner than the drawings assume. We check the proposed levels before deciding which notice applies.

Larger plots, infill and new build

Parts of UB6 have larger plots, corner sites and redevelopment opportunities. A new house or flat at the end of a garden can engage section 1 where a wall is built on the line of junction, and section 6 where the excavation goes below the neighbouring foundations.

Those cases need more than a standard notice. The party wall surveyor has to work with the structural drawings and the sequence of works, and the neighbour's schedule has to record the existing structure before the ground is opened.

What catches people out in Greenford

  • Look at the roof as well as the wall. A loft conversion can affect the party wall at the gable, the roof structure and the shared chimney breast, even if the room below is untouched.
  • Check the foundation depth. A rear extension in a 1930s semi often lands within three metres of the neighbour's footings, which brings section 6 into a project the owner thought was only section 2.
  • Keep the notice count honest. Greenford is usually one neighbour, but a converted or extended house can have more interests than the occupant expects. The title check comes first.
  • Record the existing cracks and finishes. Older semis have plenty of pre-existing movement. A dated Schedule of Condition is what separates old settlement from new damage.

For the underlying law, the Party Wall Act explained sets out the framework. Our party wall notice guide, schedule of condition guide and party wall award guide cover the three documents every case runs through.

Fees for party wall work in Greenford

Fixed and published: £165 + VAT per adjoining property to serve notice, £620 + VAT per Schedule of Condition, and £350 + VAT per adjoining property for an award acting for the Building Owner. A one-neighbour dispute — notices, one Schedule of Condition and the award — is £1,135 + VAT. All prices exclude VAT at 20%.

Basement and underpinning works are priced differently. Deeper excavation, more engineering input and more extensive schedules put them outside the fixed figures above. We review your plans and the proposed works first, then present a formal written quote before anything is agreed or any notice is served.

The full breakdown, including the statutory position on who pays for both sides' surveyors, is on our London party wall surveyor page. The regional hub for this page is West London.

Greenford party wall questions

Do I need a party wall notice for a loft conversion in Greenford?

If the loft work touches the party wall — cutting in a steel, raising the wall, forming a gable or altering a shared chimney breast — yes. That is section 2 work and the notice period is two months. A scheme that stays clear of the shared structure may fall outside the Act, but the drawings decide that, not the description of the project.

My neighbour's rear extension is within three metres of my house. What notice applies?

That is likely section 6 excavation. The Building Owner must give at least one month's notice before excavating within three metres of your structure and deeper than your foundations, or within six metres in the wider case the Act describes. You can consent, appoint a surveyor or dissent.

Who is the adjoining owner in a converted Greenford house?

The freeholder and any leaseholder whose flat touches the party structure can be separate adjoining owners. Tenants are not adjoining owners. We check the title before serving because a notice to the occupant alone is not enough.

What does a party wall surveyor cost in Greenford?

£165 + VAT per adjoining property to serve notice, £620 + VAT per Schedule of Condition, and £350 + VAT per adjoining property for an award acting for the Building Owner. A one-neighbour dispute is £1,135 + VAT. Basement and underpinning work is quoted separately.

Further reading

West London work is mostly Victorian and Edwardian terrace, with basement and structural schemes close behind. These articles go into the detail:

See also our section-by-section guide to the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, our party wall FAQs, how the notice process works and about the practice.

Talk to a Greenford party wall surveyor

Grey & Associates have worked exclusively on the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 since 2008, including basement, structural and multi-owner schemes across London. The first conversation is free.

  • Fixed fees per adjoining property, agreed before work starts.
  • Schedules of Condition that stand up as evidence a year later.
  • Experience of listed buildings, conservation areas and converted houses.
  • Representation for owners building, and owners who have received a notice.

Call 020 8150 3762 or email info@greyandassociates.co.uk.

Nearby: Ealing, Wembley and Harrow. Digging out a basement? That work has its own page: basement and underpinning party wall surveyors.

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