Overview
Party wall surveyor fees can be a major concern for building owners. Understanding how fees are charged, and how they can be controlled, is important before the process begins.
1. Common fee structures
Party wall surveyors usually charge in one of three ways.
Hourly rates
Some surveyors charge by the hour. In our view, hourly fee proposals should be treated with caution because they do not always encourage efficiency. Costs can increase quickly if the process becomes slow or unnecessarily complicated.
Fixed fees
Some surveyors offer a fixed fee for the whole matter. This gives the building owner greater certainty.
Menu pricing
A menu pricing structure gives a fixed cost for each task. In our view, this is usually the clearest option because the client can see what each stage costs and can understand how the total fee is built up.
2. Acting as agreed surveyor
An agreed surveyor acts for both owners in the statutory process. They are not the agent of either owner and must act impartially.
Using an agreed surveyor often keeps costs predictable and avoids the additional cost of a second surveyor. For many domestic projects, this is the most sensible route.
3. The adjoining owner's surveyor
An adjoining owner has the right to appoint their own surveyor. Where that happens, the building owner will usually be asked to pay the reasonable fees of both surveyors.
That right should not be used to generate unnecessary cost. A building owner can ask whether the adjoining owner's preferred surveyor is willing to act as agreed surveyor. If that reasonable option is rejected, there may be an argument that unnecessary fees have been incurred. Amir-Siddique v Kowaliw [2018] is often referred to in this context.
4. Complex projects and additional costs
More complex projects may lead to additional costs. Examples include:
- engineer's fees, where technical input is genuinely needed;
- design clarification, where the information served is inadequate;
- movement monitoring, where risk justifies it;
- third surveyor referrals, where disputes cannot otherwise be resolved.
If an adjoining owner's surveyor needs to buy in specialist expertise, their own fee should reflect that. They should not charge as though they are personally carrying out specialist engineering work if they are not.
5. Challenging unreasonable fees
If fees appear excessive, start with a direct request for justification. A proper timesheet should explain what was done, why it was necessary and how long it took.
Where the explanation is weak, compare the fee with what a competent local surveyor would usually charge for similar work.
If the surveyors cannot agree, the third surveyor can be asked to settle the dispute.
Key takeaways
- Avoid open-ended hourly fee proposals where possible.
- Favour fixed fees or menu pricing.
- Encourage agreed surveyor appointments.
- Remember that a second surveyor can significantly increase costs.
- Challenge unreasonable fees with evidence, not emotion.
- Use the third surveyor process where a fee dispute cannot be resolved sensibly.
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Learn about party wall surveyor costs and fees, including fixed fees, hourly rates, agreed surveyor appointments and how to challenge unreasonable fees.
Party wall surveyor costs and fees | Coburns Party Wall