Party wall notices for extensions in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot

Swansea and Neath Port Talbot at a glance

Nation: Wales
Price region: Wales
Postcode areas: SA
Towns covered: 9 listed below, plus surrounding villages
Site visits: Free, no obligation

What a party wall notice involves

This service suits you if your two-storey extension is close to a neighbour's house, wall or boundary. You get a check of which notices your work needs, the notices prepared and served with the right drawings, a timetable that builds in the notice periods, and help with a surveyor if your neighbour dissents.

The main places we list in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot are Swansea (SA1), Neath (SA10), Briton Ferry (SA12), Gorseinon (SA4), Clydach (SA6) and Ystalyfera (SA9). We cover the villages in between too.

Fees

We confirm every fee in writing before the design stage starts; typical professional fees are on our prices page.

Rules in Wales

In Wales, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies in the same way as in England. Notices are needed for a new wall on the line of junction, work to a party wall and excavation near a neighbour's foundations, with the same 1 month and 2 month periods. One agreed surveyor typically costs £1,300–£1,500 plus VAT.

Approval in Wales: Householder planning application: £585. Councils normally decide householder applications within 8 weeks.

Building regulations: Building regulations approval under the Welsh Approved Documents, which differ from England's in places (notably energy efficiency).

Getting the design right

Talking to neighbours first

A conversation before the notice arrives often makes the difference between consent and dissent. We explain the work, share the drawings and answer questions, so neighbours know what to expect and are more likely to agree.

Building the timing in

Notice periods add to the programme, and a dissent can add more while surveyors agree the terms. We serve notices once the design and foundations are known, usually while planning is being decided, so they run in parallel with other approvals.

How we work in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot

Look at the house
We start in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot with a free visit: measurements, photos, a look at the loft and drains, and a frank chat about budget.
Design and approvals
We draw the extension and check it against the rules for Wales, then apply for planning permission or a certificate of lawfulness, whichever fits.
Technical design
We prepare the building regulations drawings, structural calculations and specification so the build price can be fixed.
Build
Foundations, walls, floor, roof, windows, then first and second fix. We break through into the house as late as we can.

Towns we cover in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot

Party wall notices for extensions in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot: questions

Can my neighbour stop my extension with the Party Wall Act?

No. The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 sets out how work is done and how neighbours are protected, but it does not let them block lawful work that has planning approval or is permitted development. It can delay the start if notices are served late, which is why we serve them early.

What happens if my neighbour does not respond to a party wall notice?

For a party structure notice or an excavation notice, a neighbour who does not respond within 14 days is treated as having dissented. Surveyors are then appointed to agree a party wall award, which sets out how the work will be done and records the condition of the neighbour's property. Either one agreed surveyor or one for each side can act.

Neighbouring areas

All extension services in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot · About party wall notices for extensions