Cracks Or Damage In A Party Wall After A Neighbour's Building Work

What's happening?

In England and Wales, a party wall is a wall shared by two properties, and the Party Wall etc Act 1996 sets out how building work that affects it is handled. The government's explanatory booklet says the building owner must provide temporary protection for adjacent buildings where necessary, and is responsible for making good any damage caused by the works, or must make payment in lieu of making good if the adjoining owner asks for it. It also describes a schedule of condition: a record of the condition of the adjoining owner's property before the work starts, usually written up with photographs. That record is not a requirement of the Act, but surveyors advise it, and without one, if damage occurs, it can be difficult to prove it was caused by the work. So the first question is whether cracks appeared after work next door, and whether anyone recorded the wall beforehand.

What usually causes it?

• Building work next door that affects the shared wall, such as digging, loft or extension work or removing a chimney breast
• Vibration or loss of support during demolition or excavation
• A chimney breast or opening cut into a shared wall without proper support
• Cracking that was already present and only noticed now
• Normal movement of the building, unrelated to the neighbour's work

Is it dangerous?

Not usually, but a crack that is wide, stepped, growing, or appears with a bulge or a dropped floor is a structural question and should be looked at straight away by a builder or structural engineer. Do not fill or decorate cracks before they are recorded.

Can I fix it myself?

Photograph the cracks next to a ruler with the date, mark the ends with pencil and note when you first saw them. Look for any notice, award or schedule of condition from before the work, and keep any letters. Tell your neighbour and their builder in writing what you have found. Do not fill the cracks until they have been recorded and inspected.

When should you call a builder?

Call a builder or structural engineer to inspect cracks that are wide, growing or stepped. If the work was done under a party wall notice, contact the surveyor named in the award. If there was no notice and work has damaged your wall, take advice from a party wall surveyor or a solicitor, and tell your buildings insurer.

What will the builder actually do?

• Inspect the cracks inside and outside and say whether they are cosmetic or structural
• Compare the damage with any schedule of condition made before the work
• Set up crack monitoring where the cause is unclear
• Write a report that links the damage to the work or to another cause
• Carry out repairs once the responsibility is agreed

Who fixes this

• Structural repairs

Questions people ask

Sources & References

1. GOV.UK: The Party Wall etc Act 1996, explanatory booklet
2. GOV.UK: preventing and resolving disputes in relation to party walls