Party Wall Services. Handled by Professional Surveyors.
An Agreed Surveyor is a single, impartial surveyor jointly appointed by both neighbours, under Section 10(1)(a) of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, to prepare one Party Wall Award for both sides. This single appointment replaces the need for two separate surveyors and gives both parties one point of contact throughout the process.
The route follows a dissent on a Party Wall Notice. Rather than each owner appointing their own surveyor, both agree to share one. The Agreed Surveyor acts for the Building Owner and the Adjoining Owner equally, not for the party who suggested them or the party who pays.
Both parties must consent to this arrangement, and either party may withdraw consent at any point before the Award is issued.
The agreed surveyor party wall route follows a clear sequence once both parties consent. Each stage moves toward the Party Wall Award, with a single surveyor managing the process throughout.
Both the Building Owner and the Adjoining Owner confirm they are willing to appoint a single Agreed Surveyor. This consent must be in place before the formal appointment can proceed.
LENIO accepts the appointment and confirms it in writing to both parties. From that point, LENIO acts impartially for the Building Owner and the Adjoining Owner throughout.
Before works begin, LENIO records a Schedule of Condition of the Adjoining Owner’s property. The written and photographic record is annexed to the Party Wall Award.
LENIO drafts and serves the Award on both parties. Each has 14 days to appeal. Subject to that period passing, works may proceed under the Award’s terms.
The route works well in some situations and is not appropriate in others. Understanding when it applies helps both parties decide before they consent.
The Agreed Surveyor route suits cooperative neighbours and straightforward works. Where the relationship is amicable and the scope is clear, a single appointment is usually quicker and less costly than two.
In practice, it fits standard residential projects such as loft conversions, extensions and internal alterations, where both parties are comfortable proceeding together.
The route requires genuine consent from both parties. If either feels uncertain about sharing a surveyor, they are entitled to appoint their own independently.
It is generally not suited to complex or higher-risk works such as basements and underpinning, or where the parties have significantly different concerns. In those cases, LENIO can act as the Building Owner’s or Adjoining Owner’s Surveyor instead.
An honest assessment first. Before accepting an Agreed Surveyor role, LENIO reviews the working drawings and structural details, not just planning drawings, and speaks to both parties. If the matter looks likely to become contentious, we will say so and recommend separate appointments rather than accept a role that cannot be done fairly.
Either party may withdraw consent to the Agreed Surveyor arrangement at any point before the Award is served. If this happens, the appointment ends and each party appoints their own separate surveyor.
At the point of the Agreed Surveyor appointment, a Third Surveyor is also selected. The Third Surveyor plays no active role while the Agreed Surveyor is in place, but becomes available after a withdrawal to resolve any matter the two newly appointed surveyors cannot agree on.
Withdrawing consent does not stop the project. The process continues under the two-surveyor route and the Award proceeds toward completion.
Speak with a party wall surveyor before you commit to any appointment. In one short call, LENIO can confirm whether the agreed surveyor party wall route suits your situation.
As Agreed Surveyor, LENIO manages the full party wall process on behalf of both parties, from confirming consent through to post-award support, keeping both informed at every stage.
We confirm consent from both owners and review the working drawings before accepting. LENIO then confirms the appointment in writing and advises both parties on the next steps.
We review the proposed works and confirm the scope of what the Award must cover, carried out independently and in the interests of both parties.
We record a Schedule of Condition of the Adjoining Owner’s property before works begin, forming an annexed part of the Award.
We draft a thorough Award covering permitted works, method, working hours, access and protective measures, then serve it on both owners.
During construction we remain available to both parties, respond to concerns, and inspect any reported damage against the Schedule of Condition record.
The Agreed Surveyor route places a specific statutory duty on the appointed surveyor. Unlike a Building Owner’s or Adjoining Owner’s Surveyor, the Agreed Surveyor must act impartially for both sides, so the quality of the surveyor matters as much as the route itself.
An Award that is perceived as unbalanced can lead to challenge or dispute, even where both parties originally consented. That is why the route needs an experienced practitioner who can prepare an Award that genuinely protects both owners without favouring either.
LENIO is led by a Chartered Civil Engineer and Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), and a Chartered Building Engineer and Member of the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE). A chartered surveyor leads every Agreed Surveyor instruction personally.
LENIO accepts agreed surveyor party wall appointments across London, backed by two chartered professional memberships.
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)
The Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE)If both you and your neighbour are open to a single impartial appointment, the Agreed Surveyor route may be the right approach for your project. LENIO acts as Agreed Surveyor for homeowners across London. There is no obligation.
