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Cost to enclose party wall?

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Mat1
Mat1 Posts: 10 Forumite
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Before I purchased my current house the neighbours built a side return extension that sits astride the boundary. I would also like to build into the side return. I believe I need to pay him 50% of the construction cost of the party wall if I want to enclose it for my own extension.

I'm trying to get a rough idea of what this should cost before I speak to them.

The wall is about 2.5m long and the property is worth about £500k
«1

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  • Doozergirl
    Doozergirl Posts: 33,813 Forumite
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    It's the cost of building it, it isn't relative to the price of the house.

    You probably also need the services of a PWS.

    Ask your builders, but there are calculations that party wall surveyors can use. Double check those because my client used an idiot who appeared to be on work experience and wanted to triple check everything I produced, argued that my price was too low so then used his calculation and signed off the agreement with the neighbour before coming back to me or the client.

    He totally mis-measured the wall and agreed a price about £3,000 higher than it should have been. I did the proper calculations based on his own formulas and sent it back to him. It wasn't me that was wrong. :mad:
    Everything that is supposed to be in heaven is already here on earth.
  • thearchitect
    thearchitect Posts: 304 Forumite
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    Doozergirl is correct about the need for input by a Party Wall Surveyor - this is a complex area where a corner-cutting saw can cause problems later (sometimes years) down the line.
    Health Warning: I am happy to occasionally comment on building matters on the forum. However it is simply not possible to give comprehensive professional technical advice on an internet forum. Any comments made are therefore only of a general nature to point you in what is hopefully the right direction.
  • Newuser1987
    Newuser1987 Posts: 176 Forumite
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    Mat1 wrote: »
    Before I purchased my current house the neighbours built a side return extension that sits astride the boundary. I would also like to build into the side return. I believe I need to pay him 50% of the construction cost of the party wall if I want to enclose it for my own extension.

    I'm trying to get a rough idea of what this should cost before I speak to them.

    The wall is about 2.5m long and the property is worth about £500k

    I often act as a Party Wall Surveyor for my clients so hopefully I can shed some light. Situations like this you would pay the going rate of building the wall. Not the cost your neighbour paid at the time it was built.
    Section 11 (11) of the Party Wall etc Act 1966 takes reference:
    Where use is subsequently made by the adjoining owner of work carried out solely at the expense of the building owner the adjoining owner shall pay a due proportion of the expenses incurred by the building owner in carrying out that work; and for this purpose he shall be taken to have incurred expenses calculated by reference to what the cost of the work would be if it were carried out at the time when that subsequent use is made.

    The construction type of the wall will effect the cost. Below are some guidance on the current going rate. You would be liable for half the cost of the wall if you are equally sharing this wall.
    Cavity wall - £440/m2
    Solid wall - £330/m2

    I would strongly advise speaking with a Party Wall Surveyor as you may require notice for the works you intend to carry out.
  • JamesRowan
    JamesRowan Posts: 6 Forumite
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    It's the cost of building it, it isn't relative to the price of the house.


    The above
  • Mat1
    Mat1 Posts: 10 Forumite
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    Doozergirl wrote: »
    Ask your builders, but there are calculations that party wall surveyors can use.

    I did the proper calculations based on his own formulas and sent it back to him. It wasn't me that was wrong. :mad:

    Thanks do you have a link to those calculations? I want to avoid the cost of a PWS if possible
  • Mat1
    Mat1 Posts: 10 Forumite
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    Newuser1987 wrote: »
    The construction type of the wall will effect the cost. Below are some guidance on the current going rate. You would be liable for half the cost of the wall if you are equally sharing this wall.
    Cavity wall - £440/m2
    Solid wall - £330/m2

    I would strongly advise speaking with a Party Wall Surveyor as you may require notice for the works you intend to carry out.

    Great thanks, do those rates include the foundation, skips etc everything?

    If so I'm only looking at 5.3m2 total

    Do you have a link to those rates? would be really helpful!
  • Doozergirl
    Doozergirl Posts: 33,813 Forumite
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    You should be agreeing the method with which you join to the wall as well!
    Everything that is supposed to be in heaven is already here on earth.
  • seradane
    seradane Posts: 306 Forumite
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    Mat1 wrote: »
    Thanks do you have a link to those calculations? I want to avoid the cost of a PWS if possible

    I would just like to reiterate some of the earlier advice given...
    thearchitect wrote: »
    Doozergirl is correct about the need for input by a Party Wall Surveyor - this is a complex area where a corner-cutting saw can cause problems later (sometimes years) down the line.
  • Newuser1987
    Newuser1987 Posts: 176 Forumite
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    Mat1 wrote: »
    Thanks do you have a link to those calculations? I want to avoid the cost of a PWS if possible

    Unfortunately that isn't possible if you are doing work to a party wall. Unless you can make an agreement directly with the neighbour yourself. You need to invoke the act to have a right to use the wall if the neighbour does not initially agree.

    The rates I used are a loose value for everything including labour. This is based on BCIS guidebooks. Of course the location of the house/construction type have impact on the cost.
  • Mat1
    Mat1 Posts: 10 Forumite
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    Newuser1987 wrote: »
    Unfortunately that isn't possible if you are doing work to a party wall. Unless you can make an agreement directly with the neighbour yourself. You need to invoke the act to have a right to use the wall if the neighbour does not initially agree.

    The rates I used are a loose value for everything including labour. This is based on BCIS guidebooks. Of course the location of the house/construction type have impact on the cost.

    Thanks I plan to speak to them directly and serve notice myself. If they dissent I don't have a choice but for now I'm keeping an eye on every cost.

    That's good to know the wall is potentially not too expensive.
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