Rear extension
Needs notice if you build a new wall on or astride the boundary, or dig foundations within 3 m of a neighbour's building and deeper than theirs.
Party Wall Surveyors in Trafford
Corelain's Party Wall surveyors cover the whole of Trafford, from Old Trafford, Stretford and Urmston to Timperley, Hale, Hale Barns and the villages around Dunham Massey. Choose your area for local advice on notices, awards and the projects we see most.
Trafford pilot areas
Party Wall advice by area
Local housing, conservation areas and the projects we see most
Old TraffordM16
Old Trafford is one of Trafford's most densely built neighbourhoods, with long Victorian and Edwardian terraces either side of Chester Road. Almost every house shares a party wall, so loft conversions, rear extensions and flat conversions here nearly always need a notice.
Party Wall in Old Trafford
StretfordM32
Stretford's Victorian and Edwardian terraces and interwar semi-detached streets share party walls almost everywhere, so rear extensions and loft conversions here usually involve the Party Wall Act.
Party Wall in Stretford
SaleM33
Sale combines Victorian villas and terraces near the Bridgewater Canal with large interwar semi-detached estates, so loft conversions and two-storey extensions here often need a party wall notice.
Party Wall in Sale
Hale BarnsWA15
Hale Barns is mostly large detached homes on generous plots. Even with no shared wall, deep foundations, basements and replacement houses near the boundary often fall under section 6 of the Party Wall Act.
Party Wall in Hale Barns
HaleWA15
Hale's Victorian and Edwardian villas, many inside conservation areas, are often extended with basements and large rear extensions that need careful party wall planning.
Party Wall in Hale
TimperleyWA15
Timperley is a large interwar and post-war suburb of semi-detached houses. Side extensions, rear extensions and loft conversions on a semi almost always involve the party wall itself or excavation close to the neighbour's foundations.
Party Wall in Timperley
CarringtonM31
Carrington is changing fast, with new housing planned around the village. Building next to existing homes, and extending older houses in the village, can both bring in the Party Wall Act.
Party Wall in Carrington
PartingtonM31
Partington grew rapidly in the 1960s and 1970s as an overspill town, so most homes are semi-detached or terraced and share a party wall with at least one neighbour.
Party Wall in Partington
Dunham MasseyWA14
Around the National Trust's Dunham Massey estate, historic cottages and farm buildings sit in conservation areas and the Green Belt, so extensions need planning, heritage and party wall advice together.
Party Wall in Dunham Massey
WarburtonWA13
Warburton is a small rural village in the Green Belt with a historic core. Attached cottages and old boundary walls mean that even modest works can involve the Party Wall Act.
Party Wall in Warburton
UrmstonM41
Urmston's Edwardian terraces and interwar semis share party walls street after street, making loft conversions and rear extensions the most common reasons for a party wall notice here.
Party Wall in Urmston
Party Wall · for homeowners
Planning a project in Trafford?
Which home improvements need a notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996
Side extension
Side returns and wrap-arounds usually sit on the boundary line and need new foundations right next to the neighbour's.
Loft conversion
Cutting steel beams into the party wall, raising it or removing a shared chimney breast is work to a party wall.
Basement
Digging below your neighbour's foundations, and underpinning a shared wall, are both notifiable.
Excavation
Foundations, piling or deep drainage within 3 m of a neighbour's building, or within 6 m for deeper digs, can need notice.
Structural alterations
Inserting beams into a shared wall, cutting in flashings or taking out a chimney breast on the party wall.
- 1 month notice for new walls at the boundary and excavation
- 2 months notice for work to an existing party wall
- 14 days for the neighbour to reply
For professionals
Architects, designers & referrers
Bring Party Wall advice in at design stage, not after tender
Architects & design professionals
Residential architects, architectural technologists, designers, planning consultants, structural engineers and design-and-build practices.
- Preliminary Party Wall assessments
- Early identification of project risk
- Technical guidance on notifiable works
- CPD and educational sessions
- A reliable referral pathway for your clients
Builders, surveyors & solicitors
Refer a client and we take notices, schedules of condition and awards off your programme.
- Builders
- Extension specialists
- Loft conversion contractors
- Surveyors
- Solicitors
- Project managers
- Construction consultants
Adjoining owners
Received a Party Wall notice?
Your neighbour in Trafford is planning work
You have 14 days to reply. If you don't, a dispute is assumed and surveyors are appointed. Your three options:
- ConsentAgree to the work. A schedule of condition is still wise.
- Agreed surveyorDissent and share one impartial surveyor.
- Own surveyorDissent and appoint your own surveyor.
The building owner normally pays the surveyors' reasonable fees, and must make good any damage the works cause.
Get impartial advice from Corelain
Quick answers
Party Wall questions in Trafford
Based on the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 · reviewed
Do I need a party wall agreement for an extension in Trafford?
Often, yes. Under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 you must serve notice before building a new wall on or astride the boundary (section 1), doing work to an existing party wall such as cutting in steel beams for a loft conversion (section 2), or excavating within 3 metres of a neighbour's building and deeper than its foundations, or within 6 metres for deeper excavations (section 6). The Act applies across England and Wales, including Trafford.
How much notice do I need to give my neighbour?
One month for a new wall at the boundary or for excavation, and two months for work to an existing party wall. A notice lapses if the work has not started within 12 months.
What happens if my neighbour does not reply to a party wall notice?
If an adjoining owner does not reply within 14 days, a dispute is treated as having arisen. Surveyors are then appointed to agree a party wall award that sets out how and when the work can be done.
Who pays for the party wall surveyor?
The building owner, the person doing the work, normally pays the reasonable fees of both their own surveyor and the adjoining owner's surveyor.
Can I start building before the party wall award is agreed?
Not for notifiable work. You need your neighbour's written consent or an agreed award first. Starting early can lead to an injunction and delay.
Does planning permission cover party wall matters?
No. Planning permission, Building Regulations approval and the Party Wall Act are separate. The same extension may need all three.
I have received a party wall notice in Trafford. What should I do?
Read it carefully and reply in writing within 14 days. You can consent, or dissent and either share one impartial surveyor (an agreed surveyor) or appoint your own.
Do I have to pay for my own party wall surveyor?
Usually not. The building owner normally pays the reasonable costs of the adjoining owner's surveyor.
What if my neighbour's building work damages my property?
A party wall award normally includes a schedule of condition recording your property before work starts. The building owner must make good any damage the work causes, or pay compensation.
Can I stop my neighbour's extension with the Party Wall Act?
No. The Act does not let you block work that is otherwise allowed. It controls how the work is done and protects your property while it happens.