Not on the work the notice covers, unless your neighbour has agreed in writing. Starting notifiable work too early is one of the most common and most expensive party wall mistakes.
What the Act allows
Work covered by the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 can start once your neighbour has consented in writing, or once the notice period has run and an award is in place if they dissented. Your neighbour can also agree in writing to an earlier start. Work outside the Act, such as internal alterations away from the party wall, can go ahead as normal.
What happens if you start too soon
- Your neighbour can apply to court for an injunction to stop the work, which can halt a build and add legal costs.
- Without an award and a schedule of condition, any damage claim is much harder to settle.
- It can sour relations with the people next door for years.
What you can do while you wait
- Serve notices as soon as your plans are fixed: two months for party structure work, one month for line of junction and excavation work.
- Book a schedule of condition of the neighbour's property before work starts.
- Get on with work that falls outside the Act, such as internal strip-out away from the party wall.
- Brief your builder not to touch the party wall or dig near the boundary until the award is signed.
How long an award takes
Once surveyors are appointed, a straightforward award is often agreed in two to four weeks. Complex work or slow replies can take longer, so build it into your programme. See costs and timescales.
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