Why serve early
The minimum notice periods, one month or two, run from the day of service. Wait for planning permission before serving and they start late, and the surveyors may then need time to prepare an award on top. Serving while the planning application is being decided lets the two run side by side.
When early is too early
A notice describes the work. If the design is likely to change, for example because the planners may ask you to move the extension or alter the roof, the notice may no longer match what you build. Then you might need a fresh notice, or an addendum to the award.
Serve when:
- the positions of new walls, beams and foundations are settled
- you are confident of starting within 12 months, before an unused notice lapses
Permitted development
Plenty of extensions and loft conversions need no planning application at all. That makes no difference to the Party Wall Act, which applies whether or not planning permission is needed. Our sister site compares the three systems.
Building regulations
The same goes for building regulations approval. Structural details such as beam sizes may not be final until building control has looked at them. If the engineer's design for work on the party wall is still changing, it can be worth waiting for it to settle.
Common questions
Will my neighbour's surveyor want final structural drawings?
Usually, before the award is finalised, especially for beams in a party wall or deep foundations. The notice itself can go out before they are ready.
What if planning is refused?
You simply do not carry out the work. If you redesign, check whether the original notice still describes what you now plan.
Where this comes from in the Act
Links go to the official text of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 on legislation.gov.uk.