Party Wall Services for Garden Buildings
From home studies and studios to reading rooms and playhouses for the little ones, adding a garden structure can be a wonderful way to create some extra space on your land. If you’re planning to build a garden room of any form, however, it’s important to know whether you’ll need a party wall agreement.
Under the Party Wall etc Act 1996, any construction or renovation work affecting a shared (party) wall requires a formal party wall notice to be served. This means that if you plan a project that will impact a party wall or adjoining owner’s structure, you have to let your neighbour know by serving a notice and potentially draw up a legal party wall agreement when required by the parties.
When it comes to home extensions, that seems fairly straightforward. But what about garden buildings?
We’re here to offer guidance on whether your garden building will require a party wall agreement. Read on for more information, and please feel free to contact us to discuss your proposed project.
Do you need a party wall agreement for a garden building?
When it comes to garden offices and the Party Wall Act, there are a few factors at play. Whether or not you’ll need to inform your neighbours of your plans and get their consent depends on where your garden building will be and the foundations it will require.
Let’s take a look at some common scenarios to see when you might need to consult a party wall surveyor to help with your project.
When you will need a party wall agreement for your garden building
In most cases, you’ll need a party wall agreement if:
- Your garden building will be attached to a shared wall. This is common with garden rooms connected to semi-detached or terraced houses.
- You need to modify a party wall or party fence wall in order to build your garden office.
Remember, the Party Wall etc Act 1996 doesn’t just focus on walls — shared boundaries count, too. As such, if your garden structure will sit on a shared boundary, then you may need to serve a line of junction notice which may lead to a party wall agreement with the adjoining neighbour.
Likewise, the Party Wall Act also looks at excavations. So, if you need to dig foundations within 3-6 metres of an adjoining owner’s structure, which can include garden walls, you’ll have to serve notice and arrange an agreement.
It’s also worth noting that the Party Wall Act states you’ll need to serve a party wall notice if your garden excavation work is within 3 metres or and to a greater depth than an adjoining owner’s structure which may impact the stability of your neighbour’s wall or property.
When you may not need a party wall agreement for your garden room
There are some scenarios in which you can freely build your garden wall without worrying about party wall agreements.
- You may, for instance, have a large, detached garden and plan to build more than 6 metres away from any adjoining owner’s structure or boundaries.
- Lightweight garden structures, like sheds and greenhouses, don’t tend to require deep foundations or structural alterations. As such, you can often build these without serving party wall notice unless you’re building up against the boundary.
- Similarly, if your structure will only involve above-ground work (no foundations or excavation), you probably won’t need a party wall agreement again unless you intend to build up against the boundary.
Our party wall services for garden buildings
In our 25 years of experience helping homeowners in London, Essex, and Sussex with designing, planning, and managing garden building projects, we’re well-versed in party wall agreements. Led by Robert Turner, our founding chartered surveyor, we have extensive knowledge of party wall matters and can ensure your new garden office is compliant with the Party Wall etc Act 1996. We can:- Identify whether your project will require a party wall notice.
- Help serve notice on your neighbours for your garden office.
- Draw up comprehensive party wall agreements.
- Sensitively and fairly resolve any disputes that may arise throughout the build.
Contact Robert Turner Associates for support with your garden building project
