The short answer
Some adjoining owner surveyors present high hourly rates as if they are untouchable. They are not. The Act lets surveyors determine costs, but the fees must still be reasonable — a rate on a fee proposal is not automatically recoverable.
Why it matters
The test is not simply the rate, but whether the work was necessary, the time proportionate, the rate reasonable for the work, the issue within the Act, whether work was duplicated, and whether the surveyor used engineer input yet still charged as though they did the technical review. Hourly rates can reward inefficiency — a high rate plus excessive time on routine tasks produces a disproportionate fee and undermines confidence in the process. Comparison helps: routine domestic work should not attract disproportionate professional charges.
What to do now
- Where a fee looks high, ask for a detailed timesheet, the hourly rate, task descriptions, copies of key outputs, an explanation of disbursements, and justification for any engineer input.
- Compare with what competent local party wall surveyors would charge for similar work.
- Refer to the third surveyor if the appointed surveyors cannot agree.
Common mistakes
- Accepting a high rate as automatically recoverable.
- Overlooking duplicated work or doubled-up engineer charges.
- Paying disproportionate fees for routine domestic work.
When to call Coburns
If an adjoining owner’s surveyor’s rate looks arbitrary, send us the fee proposal and we will test it against reasonableness and local norms.