Neighbour claims your fence, wall or extension crosses the line? Get an independent, impartial survey before you respond.
Many disputes rest on incorrect assumptions or outdated plans. An independent, RICS-accredited survey can support your position just as much as your neighbour's — establishing the facts before anyone takes further action.
Neighbour boundary disputes cut both ways. If your neighbour claims your fence, wall, extension or planting crosses their boundary and sits on their land, that's a serious allegation — but it is only an allegation. A boundary claim is not automatically correct, and many disputes turn out to rest on an outdated title plan, a fence that was rebuilt slightly off its original line years ago, or a simple misreading of where the legal boundary actually runs.
Before you agree to anything, move anything, or respond in writing, it's worth getting an independent, RICS-accredited boundary survey of your own. Because the surveyor works to the facts rather than for either side, the resulting report can support your position just as readily as it could support your neighbour's — and gives you a solid, evidence-based footing for whatever comes next.
If the claim also involves proposed building work — a new wall, or excavation near the shared boundary — the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may apply separately from the boundary question itself. We can advise on both in a single conversation.
Wait until evidence has been gathered before changing fences, walls or plantings.
Avoid agreeing to anything in writing until you have an independent measurement.
A neutral determination protects both sides and often ends disputes faster.
Our team holds recognised memberships and regulation across surveying and dispute resolution — supporting clear advice and confident decisions.
Don't move or alter anything, and avoid agreeing to their position in writing. Commission an independent boundary survey of your own before responding — it's the only way to know whether the claim actually holds up.
No. Many boundary claims rest on incorrect assumptions, outdated plans, or a misunderstanding of where the legal line runs versus where a fence or hedge currently stands. Only an independent survey against the title deeds and Land Registry plan can confirm the true position.
Only if it's conclusively shown to encroach on your neighbour's land and the matter proceeds to a determination or court order. An independent survey early on very often resolves the matter well before it reaches that stage.
Most disputes settle through mediation once both sides have an impartial report to work from. Only a small minority proceed to a formal determined boundary application or County Court, and the survey remains central evidence throughout.
After an initial call, most boundary surveys are completed within a few weeks, with faster turnaround available where a dispute is time-sensitive — for example, if a claim has already been raised formally.
The six stages of resolving a dispute, from gathering the paperwork through to court — and where each one usually ends.
Read the guide →What to do if a fence, extension or hedge has already crossed onto your land.
Read more →How a pre-build boundary survey prevents encroachment disputes with neighbours before they start.
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