Notices
Party structure notices in plain English
A party structure notice is the usual letter when work may affect a wall, floor or other structure you share with a neighbour.
This is general information for England and Wales. It is not a decision on your building. Status: pending project-specific review by a qualified Party Wall professional. House-style review 27 September 2026.
When people usually ask about one
Lofts that cut into a party wall, steels that bear on it, chimney breasts on a shared stack, and raising or cutting into the wall between houses are the jobs that most often lead here.
A detached house with no shared structure is a different question. So is a new wall built only up to the boundary, which may be a line of junction matter instead.
Timing, as a general rule
A party structure notice is usually served at least two months before the notifiable work. That period is a general rule. A professional has to match it to your drawings and your real start date.
Serving the notice does not mean the works may start. Planning permission, building regulations, the lease and the structural design are separate.
- Name the right owners, including a freeholder where there is one
- Attach the drawings the notice is actually about
- Keep proof of how it was sent
A Party Wall Notice does not replace planning permission, building regulations approval, leaseholder or freeholder consent, or structural advice. This platform does not provide legal advice and does not issue Awards.