What must a party wall notice include?

Every notice should state

• Your name and address as the building owner, and all joint owners
• The address where the work will take place
• The section of the Act the notice is served under
• A description of the work, clear enough for the neighbour to understand what is proposed
• The date the work will start, which must respect the minimum notice period
• The date the notice is given

Extra items for particular notices

Party structure notice: if you intend to use special foundations, such as reinforced concrete foundations, the notice must include plans, sections and details of their construction and the loads they will carry. Special foundations on a neighbour's land need their express written consent.

Line of junction notice: say whether the new wall will sit astride the boundary or wholly on your land, and describe it.

Excavation notice: include plans and sections showing where the buildings and the excavation are, and how deep you will dig. You should also say whether you propose to underpin or otherwise strengthen the neighbour's foundations.

What a notice does not need

• Planning permission or building regulations approval
• Full construction drawings, except where an excavation or special foundations require them
• A surveyor's signature. A home owner can serve their own notice.

A practical tip

Describe the work the way you would explain it to the neighbour over the fence. "Cut pockets in the shared wall at loft level for two steel beams carrying the new floor" tells them far more than "works to party wall as per drawings".