Planning works on a Greenwich home, or just received a Party Wall Notice from a neighbour? LENIO Party Wall Surveyors handles the whole process for you.
Looking for a party wall surveyor in Greenwich? LENIO Party Wall Surveyors works across West Greenwich, Blackheath, Maze Hill, Westcombe Park and the Greenwich Peninsula, on both sides of the wall.
Greenwich is part of our South London coverage, and it is a busy party wall area. From Georgian terraces to grand Blackheath villas, most extensions and basements here engage the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
Most Greenwich homeowners ask this before an extension, basement or loft, usually when an architect raises it. Whether you need a notice depends on the works and how close they sit to your neighbour.
This guide sets out exactly which works are notifiable, how proximity to the boundary matters, and what to do if you are uncertain.
Greenwich homes range from tight terraces to detached villas, but the principle is the same. Where works affect a shared wall, or dig near a neighbour's foundations, the party wall notice Greenwich projects require is the first formal step. Our guide on whether you need a Party Wall Notice covers it in full.
Greenwich is defined by its history, and the housing shows it. Georgian and early-Victorian terraces fill West Greenwich and the streets around Greenwich Park, while Blackheath adds grand period villas on generous plots. Much of the borough sits within conservation areas.
These are old, often valuable buildings, and the projects reflect that. Rear and side extensions, loft conversions and a growing number of basements are the works we see most. Refurbishments in the modern flats of the Greenwich Peninsula add to the mix.
Because so many Greenwich homes are centuries old, they already carry settlement and cracks. That makes a careful Schedule of Condition before works begin especially important, whichever type of home you own.
Most Greenwich projects engage the Act through one of four works. Each triggers a different notice.
The standard Greenwich project. New foundations near the neighbour, or building to the boundary, bring the Act into play under the excavation and boundary provisions.
Sections 1 & 6Steel beams bearing on the party wall, or raising it to form a gable, are structural works served under a Party Structure Notice.
Section 3Increasingly common on Greenwich and Blackheath homes. Digging below and close to neighbouring foundations almost always triggers the Act, usually with more than one notice.
Section 6Removing a breast that forms part of a shared stack is work to a party structure. That applies even when the rest of the job is on your side.
Party StructureThe most common mistake we see in Greenwich is assuming a large or detached home is too far from the neighbour to need a notice. Around Blackheath especially, owners of grand villas on generous plots think the Act does not apply to them.
Distance from the house is not the same as distance from the boundary. A rear extension or basement on a large plot still digs within three metres of a neighbouring building. A wall built on the boundary triggers the Act on its own.
So a detached or semi-detached Greenwich home is rarely exempt. We confirm the position from your drawings, which usually takes only a quick look, and serve any notices that are needed.
Whatever point you are at, LENIO Party Wall Surveyors handles it for owners in Greenwich. These services cover the full process, whether you are building or being built next to.
Getting the right notice served on the right people is the foundation of the whole process for a Greenwich project, and where most delays start if it is missed.
Explore Party Wall Notices →
Before work begins, we build a photographic record of the neighbouring property. It becomes the reference point if a damage dispute ever comes up.
Explore Schedule of Condition →
A dissent from your neighbour means an Award is needed before works can proceed. We prepare it, covering hours, access and condition.
Explore Party Wall Awards →
For the owner carrying out the works, we handle the notices and keep the Greenwich project moving on schedule.
Explore Building Owner Surveyor →
For the neighbour who has received a notice, we protect their interests, usually with the Building Owner covering the cost.
Explore Adjoining Owner Surveyor →
Where a single impartial surveyor suits both owners, LENIO can fill that role, which is often the quicker and cheaper path after a dissent.
Explore Agreed Surveyor →Three terms Greenwich homeowners ask about most, and what each one actually means for your project.
A Party Wall Award is the document surveyors prepare when a neighbour dissents to your notice. It sets out how the works are carried out, the working hours, access arrangements and a Schedule of Condition. You only need one if your neighbour dissents, or does not respond within 14 days. If they consent in writing, the works proceed on the notice alone.
Many homeowners say party wall agreement when they mean either written consent or the Award that follows a dissent. A verbal yes gives no protection. If your neighbour consents in writing, that written consent is the agreement Greenwich owners rely on. If they dissent, the Award becomes the formal agreement that governs the works.
Before works begin, a party wall survey records the condition of the neighbouring property in photographs and notes. On Greenwich's centuries-old buildings, that baseline is what settles any later question about damage. Both owners hold the same record, so neither side can argue about what the property looked like before the works.
It generally only takes a quick review of your plans to establish whether notice is required, which notice, how long it should take, and what comes next. LENIO Party Wall Surveyors provides that first opinion free, with no strings attached. For Greenwich, that usually starts with a look at how your side return & rear extensions sits relative to the boundary.
A party wall surveyor working in Greenwich earns their fee by doing more than issuing a notice. That means confirming exactly what your project requires, serving the right people, and resolving disagreements quickly enough that your start date holds.
LENIO Party Wall Surveyors is a specialist practice, led by a Chartered Civil Engineer and Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). The lead surveyor is also a Chartered Building Engineer and Member of the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE). On Greenwich's old and often listed buildings, reading the structure as well as the Act is exactly what the job needs.
LENIO knows the Greenwich and Blackheath stock well and handles the process end to end. We keep your neighbour relationship calm while the works go ahead. LENIO is the party wall surveyor Greenwich homeowners call first.
Chartered Civil Engineer, Member of the ICE
Chartered Building Engineer, Member of the CABE
LENIO is based in central London and covers Greenwich and the wider South London area in person. We attend for the party wall survey and the Schedule of Condition, so wherever your project sits in Greenwich, a chartered surveyor comes to you.
Call LENIO TodayParty wall matters are procedural far more often than they are adversarial. The aim is simply to carry out the works properly and protect the property next door, while keeping the relationship with a long-term neighbour intact. A specialist party wall surveyor in Greenwich takes care of that cleanly. Here that most often means side return & rear extensions, so it is usually the first thing we ask about.
The downside of getting this wrong is not abstract. An invalid notice has to be served all over again. Without a Schedule of Condition, you have little to point to if damage is alleged later. And a neighbour who feels overlooked is considerably more likely to dissent and slow things down.
LENIO Party Wall Surveyors leads with a calm, reassuring approach. The first conversation is free, and once we have reviewed your drawings you will have a clear quote.
Still working through a party wall question? These guides answer the most common ones in full. Start with the one closest to your situation, or explore the full library.
Which works are notifiable, how proximity to the boundary matters, and what to do if you are uncertain.
Explore The Guide →If your neighbour dissents, your project is not blocked. The surveyor route, the Award, and how long a dissent adds.
Explore The Guide →What each one is, when each applies, and how a notice can lead to an Award, so you know which applies to you.
Explore The Guide →The timeline stage by stage, what makes it longer or shorter, and how serving notice early keeps you on schedule.
Explore The Guide →Typical fee ranges for notices and Awards, who pays, and how to keep your party wall costs down.
Explore The Guide →What it includes, when you need one, what it costs, and how it protects both sides if damage is alleged.
Explore The Guide →Yes. LENIO works across the whole of Greenwich, from West Greenwich and Maze Hill to Blackheath, Westcombe Park and the Greenwich Peninsula. If your street is not named on this page, a quick call confirms that we cover it.
We travel to you for the party wall survey and the Schedule of Condition, as part of our South London coverage.
Possibly, yes. Even a detached home's extension or basement often digs within three metres of the neighbouring building. A wall built on the boundary triggers the Act on its own. A party wall notice in Greenwich is decided by the works, not the size of the house.
A quick look at your drawings confirms the position before you commit to a start date.
In a modern block, the qualifying Adjoining Owners can include the freeholder, neighbouring leaseholders and the management company. Each has rights under the Act.
Cutting into a shared wall in a flat is notifiable, just as in a house. We identify every qualifying owner before any notice goes out.
Because old buildings already carry cracks, settlement and movement. Without a careful record before works begin, there is no way to tell new damage from what was already there.
On Greenwich's Georgian and Victorian homes, a thorough party wall survey protects you from claims for pre-existing damage, and protects your neighbour if new damage occurs.
There is no single price, because the cost depends on how your neighbour responds and how many owners are involved. A consented notice sits at the low end, while a party wall award in Greenwich, after a dissent, costs more.
LENIO gives free initial advice and a clear quote after reviewing your drawings. You will know the cost before any work begins.
Whether you are drawing up plans or holding a notice someone else has served, LENIO Party Wall Surveyors works throughout Greenwich and South London. Contact us for free initial advice and a quote tailored to your project. Side Return & Rear Extensions is the project we see most often here, so we usually know the ground before we start.
