After nominating a Party Wall Surveyor, a building owner proceeds to list down the condition of the adjoining owner’s property. This step is also known as the Schedule of Conditions.
While this section is not included in the party wall act, making it informal, building owners and icon surveyors do it routinely.
It can also come in handy in case of a disagreement over the origin of damages.
Evaluating the adjoining owner’s home also allows Party Wall Surveyors to check the available proposals and analyze potential risks.
The Icon Surveyors only record the condition of the adjoining owner’s property and the building owner is responsible for any damages they cause on their own property.
Party Wall Surveyors may need access to the adjoining owner’s property if inspection on some section of their property can only be done from the inside.
The party wall act does not mention the schedule of conditions, meaning there is less guidance on its extent. In this case, the nominated surveyors should rely on their building experience.
The general rule that applies here is that all sections within a 3-meter radius of the projected works should be recorded when the works are minor.
Where the works involve numerous risks, then the distance should be within a six meters radius.
The overall protocol is that a party wall surveyor representing the building owner should record structures of their images.
At the same time, the adjoining owner can appoint their preferred surveyors and have images of their property taken.
After the assessment process, the schedule of conditions draft is forwarded to the adjoining owner’s surveyor.
Having been available during the assessment process, the surveyor will be well-prepared to comment and give consent.
The draft schedule of conditions copy is a written document describing all visual faults on the property.
A set of images should be attached to support the document because understanding plain images can be difficult and time-consuming.
Identifying the flaws may be nearly impossible without a supporting written document. Party Wall Surveyors only estimate the width and length of cracks because the measuring process can be overly time-consuming.
The schedule of conditions is a critical part of the Party Wall Agreement Or Party Wall Award.
Today, surveyors do not attach photos in hard copy documents because they only come in handy whenever a dispute over the origin of damage arises.
They have them in soft copy for easy retrieval. For more advice on the party wall notice or the nomination of a party wall surveyor, reach us through email or call on 020 7493 9087.
