The short answer
A good surveyor resolves disputes; a fee-driven one creates them. Choose on the individual surveyor’s judgement, experience and conduct rather than the firm’s name, ask about fees early, and watch for the warning signs of an approach geared to billing rather than resolution.
Why it matters
Party wall appointments are personal. Memberships and badges are background, not proof of expertise — they do not show how many awards a surveyor has made or how they handle disputes. A surveyor who is vague about fees, leans on open-ended hourly rates, or overcomplicates routine works is a risk to the building owner who pays and the adjoining owner who appointed them.
What to do now
- Research the individual: reviews that mention them, evidence of party wall specialism, and a reputation for moving matters forward.
- Ask how fees are calculated and whether the work can be priced on a fixed, capped or menu basis.
- In the initial discussion, ask how many matters they handle a year, whether they support agreed surveyors, how they deal with excessive fees, and how they avoid delay.
- Expect plain answers.
Common mistakes
- Choosing on firm name or professional letters alone.
- Accepting vague, open-ended hourly fees.
- Ignoring warning signs: pushing separate appointments, overcomplicating routine works, long correspondence on minor points, unnecessary engineer input, or treating the building owner as a guaranteed payer.
When to call Coburns
If you want a surveyor focused on resolution rather than billing, get in touch and we will explain plainly how we work and what it costs.