The short answer
Party wall surveyors should be independent, impartial and focused on resolving the dispute, so commission-based or referral-linked fees, which can reward escalation or referral, should be treated with caution.
Why it matters
Once appointed, a surveyor performs a statutory role; they are not a sales agent, claims manager or advocate. A commission arrangement can misalign incentives: if a surveyor earns more by selling more services, introducing more professionals or prolonging a matter, the owner’s interests and the surveyor’s income pull apart. That can drive unnecessary appointments, unnecessary engineer involvement, inflated correspondence, pressure to treat simple matters as complex, and poor transparency about who is paid and why. Building owners may face a higher bill without better protection; adjoining owners may wrongly assume appointing a surveyor is free, when only reasonable fees are recoverable.
What to do now
- Choose a surveyor with clear fees and no hidden referral arrangements.
- Ask for a defined scope of work and written confirmation of how they charge.
- Look for a practical approach to avoiding unnecessary work.
Common mistakes
- Overlooking referral or commission arrangements behind an appointment.
- Assuming the building owner simply absorbs any fee.
- Treating a free appointment as cost-free.
When to call Coburns
If you want a surveyor whose only interest is resolving your matter fairly, get in touch and we will set out exactly how we charge.