Party walls and building work

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Work you must tell your neighbour about

You must tell your neighbour if you want to:

  • build on or at the boundary of your 2 properties
  • work on an existing party wall or party structure
  • dig below and near to the foundation level of their property

Examples of this type of work include:

  • building a new wall
  • cutting into a party wall
  • making a party wall taller, shorter or deeper
  • removing chimneys from a party wall
  • knocking down and rebuilding a party wall

Find more details of work you need to tell your neighbour about in the party wall explanatory booklet.

Your neighbours cannot stop you from making changes to your property that are within the law, but they can affect how and when your works are carried out.

What you do not need to tell them about

You do not need to tell your neighbour about minor changes, for example plastering, adding or replacing electrical wiring or sockets, or drilling to put up shelves or cabinets.