The short answer
An open-ended hourly rate is one of the easiest ways for a party wall matter to become unnecessarily expensive. Not every hourly rate is improper, but you should be very cautious about appointing a surveyor with no estimate, cap or defined scope.
Why it matters
Hourly billing can reward time rather than outcome, encouraging long correspondence, unnecessary site visits, excessive drafting, avoidable engineer input, arguments over minor issues, and delay that increases the final bill — and the client may not know the likely cost until it is too late. Building owners can face an inflated invoice from the adjoining owner’s surveyor, which can be challenged, but the dispute itself adds time and cost; adjoining owners who assume hourly billing is harmless can be left awkwardly placed if the fee is reduced or not awarded in full.
What to do now
- Ask for a fixed fee, a capped fee, menu pricing for defined tasks, or a staged fee based on progress.
- Require clear written approval before any extra work is charged.
- Before appointing, ask what the likely total is, what is included and excluded, what could increase it, and whether they will tell you before extra cost is incurred.
Common mistakes
- Appointing on an open-ended hourly basis with no cap or scope.
- Not asking for a likely total at the outset.
- Allowing extra work to be charged without prior approval.
When to call Coburns
If you want certainty on cost from the start, get in touch and we will quote on a fixed or menu basis wherever possible.