The short answer
A schedule of condition is a detailed record — usually written notes plus dated photographs — of the condition of the adjoining owner’s property before the building work begins. It is the reference point for deciding whether any later cracking or damage was actually caused by the works, and it protects both owners: the adjoining owner against unrepaired damage, and the building owner against exaggerated or pre-existing claims.
Why it matters
Without a baseline, a crack found after the works is simply one person’s word against another’s. With a schedule, the surveyors can compare before and after and decide fairly what the works caused. A good schedule typically covers walls, ceilings, floors, existing cracks and finishes, and the structures nearest the works, with clear, dated photographs. It should be taken before any notifiable work starts and, ideally, acknowledged by both sides. Skipping it is a false economy that fuels disputes later.
What to do now
- Settle the straightforward points directly. Agreeing the uncontentious aspects of any damage between yourselves minimises what the surveyors must determine, helping keep costs controlled.
- Where both owners use a single agreed surveyor, one schedule of condition serves both sides — simpler and cheaper. Coburns recommends an agreed surveyor wherever possible.
- Make sure a schedule of condition is taken before work begins.
- Check it is thorough and that the photographs are clear and dated.
- Keep a copy with your award — both owners should have one.
- Flag any pre-existing defects so they are recorded.
Common mistakes
- Not taking one at all.
- Taking it after work has already begun.
- Vague notes or undated photographs.
- Failing to record pre-existing cracks — then arguing about them later.
When to call Coburns
We prepare thorough schedules of condition as part of acting on a matter, protecting you whichever side of the wall you are on. Send us the details and we will make sure the record is done properly, before work starts.