Does the Party Wall Act apply to my work?

Quick check

What work is planned? Choose the closest match Loft conversion with beams resting on the shared wall Cutting into a shared wall: a steel beam, a flashing, a damp proof course Taking out a chimney breast on a shared wall Raising, rebuilding, underpinning or thickening a shared wall A new wall on, or right up against, the boundary Digging foundations, a basement or drains near next door Internal work away from the shared wall: kitchen, plastering, wiring Small fixings into a shared wall: shelves, units, a TV bracket A timber fence, hedge or landscaping Check

Work that is usually covered

• Inserting beams, joists or padstones into a shared wall
• Removing a chimney breast attached to a shared wall
• Raising, rebuilding, underpinning or thickening a shared wall
• Building a new wall on or up to the boundary
• Digging foundations near a neighbour's building, within the 3 and 6 metre zones
• Cutting away projections, such as a neighbour's eaves or footings, from a shared wall

Work that is usually not covered

• Internal alterations away from the shared wall
• Ordinary fixings into a shared wall, such as shelves, units or sockets
• Plastering, rewiring or re-plumbing
• Timber fences and hedges
• Work more than 6 metres from a neighbour's building

Why "usually"?

The answer depends on the drawings. A kitchen refit can become notifiable if it involves cutting a chase deep into a party wall or removing a chimney breast; an extension away from the boundary can still need a notice if its foundations are deep enough. Treat this check as a first step.