What is a Party Wall?

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What is a party wall?
If you live in a semi-detached or terrace house you share a wall (or walls) with your neighbour - that is known as the party wall. It separates buildings belonging to different owners.

Where a wall separates 2 or more buildings of varying sizes, only the shared part of the wall is the party wall, the rest belongs to the respective land owner upon which the wall stands.

You must get the permission of the neighbouring property owner before you start any building work such as:

• Extensions
• Damp proofing
• Certain internal refurbishments and structural changes
• Structural alterations

In many cases, excavating and constructing foundations for a new building or extension within a three or six metre curtilage of neighbouring properties will also need written agreement. This is largely dependant of the foundations of the neighbouring property and the intended depth of the new foundations being constructed.

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