What is the party wall act?
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 is an important piece of legislation for homeowners in England and Wales. It provides a framework for preventing and resolving disputes related to party walls, boundary walls, and excavations near neighbouring buildings.
A party wall is the dividing partition at the junction of two adjoining homes that is shared by the property owners. The Act defines a few distinct types:
- Type A: A wall that stands astride the boundary of land belonging to two or more different owners. This is what most people think of as the wall separating semi-detached or terraced houses.
- Type B: A wall that stands entirely on one owner’s land but is used by two or more owners to separate their buildings.
- Party Structure: A broader term that includes walls but also floors or other partitions separating different parts of a building, such as in flats or maisonettes.
Whilst completing roofing projects, we deal with the party wall that separates two (or more) buildings which includes the walls that separate terraced or semi-detached properties. If you intend to carry out any work that might affect a shared party wall you must give any adjoining owners formal notice of your intentions.
Notifying your neighbour
To formally serve notice, you must write to your affected neighbour(s) with your contact information, a full description of the planned work, your proposed start date, and details of any access required to their property. If the adjoining property is tenanted, you must serve notice to the building’s owners as well as the tenants living there.
Once they have received your notice, your neighbour has 14 days to respond in writing. They have several options:
- Give consent in writing. If they agree to the proposed works, you can proceed.
- Refuse consent. This begins a ‘dispute resolution process’ to agree on the work’s terms.
- Serve a counter-notice. Within one month of your notice, they can request that you carry out additional works at the same time.
If your neighbour does not respond to your notice within the 14-day period, it is automatically considered a dissent, and the dispute resolution process begins.
Official Guidance and Notice Examples
For detailed information and templates for serving notice, we recommend consulting the government’s official guidance below.
Party Wall Guidance
How the Party Wall Act Affects Your Roofing Project
At JR Roofing, we can offer guidance on the Party Wall Act and the specific parts of your roofing project that are affected. We provide clear literature for your neighbours so they are fully aware of the upcoming work and what it involves.
Bonding Detail
If the roof covering on one of the sides is being replaced, then due care and consideration will be given when dealing with the roof covering of the neighbouring property.
When the roof is being replaced then a bonding detail will be installed to allow the adjoining properties to remain watertight. The bonding detail allows the roofs to be independent. It therefore doesn’t matter if the roof coverings are different types or sizes.
BS5534 does not allow for roof batten ends to remain unsupported. This means that in some cases the new roof covering must continue onto the neighbouring property until it meets the first rafter.
Fire Safety At The Party Wall
Preventing the spread of fire between adjoining properties is a mandatory requirement of UK Building Regulations.When undertaking a re-roof, we must ensure the integrity of the fire separation at the party wall is maintained or upgraded.
The gap in the roof void over the party wall must be completely sealed to stop fire and smoke. We install A1 non-combustible, fire-rated mineral wool insulation to create a robust fire break that extends the full thickness of the wall.
Chimneys
If a chimney stack is built on the party wall, our work will focus on restoring the side belonging to our paying customer.
Our chimney restoration process includes grinding out and re-pointing of the brickwork, re-flaunching the top cement course, re-bedding the chimney pots, and installing new leadwork (soakers, flashings, saddle, and front apron) to ensure it is watertight.
If the chimney has a shared back gutter, we will replace the entire back gutter to ensure that the area is kept watertight.
Scaffolding
To carry out work safely above the party wall, we are required to erect scaffolding that extends into the grounds of the adjoining property.
This is a notifiable action under the Party Wall Act. The exact position and footprint of the scaffolding will be discussed and agreed upon with the adjoining building owner before any work commences to ensure minimal disruption.
Adjoining Flat Roofs
When working on a flat roof that adjoins a neighbouring property, particular care is taken to ensure the waterproofing system is fully sealed at the party wall without compromising the neighbouring structure.
In many cases, the existing flat roof on the neighbouring side may be at a different height or constructed from a different material. We take a considered approach to ensure:
- The new system integrates correctly without causing water runoff issues
- The neighbouring roof is not disturbed unnecessarily
- Any junction between the two properties remains fully weatherproof
Additional Services
Blackpool Roofing Services
At JR Roofing, we have built our reputation on providing reliable and professional roofing services, and we strive to deliver exceptional service every time.
Our range of residential and commercial roofing services in Blackpool include:
