Choose the right starting point
Party wall, neighbourly and leasehold matters overlap but are not interchangeable. The Party Wall etc. Act, a lease licence and Section 20 consultation each have different parties, notices and decision points. These routes help identify which professional service and guide matches the issue.
Questions to resolve before appointing
Use these distinctions to describe the building, the decision and the required output clearly when requesting advice.
Identify the legal and contractual route
Establish whether the issue arises from notifiable work under the Party Wall etc. Act, a lease requirement for landlord consent, wider access or crane matters, or consultation for qualifying residential works. More than one route can apply, but each has different documents, parties and professional roles.
Record who is proposing what
Provide the addresses, the parties' roles, the proposed works and any notice, drawings, lease clauses or correspondence already received. An adjoining owner responding to a notice needs a different starting point from a building owner planning work. Avoid agreeing access, scope or costs informally before the relevant documents are understood.
Map dates and dependencies
Note service dates, proposed start dates, consultation stages, landlord-review periods and any programme commitments. A project timetable does not override statutory or lease procedures. Early review helps reveal where design information, surveyor appointments, access arrangements or approvals must be resolved before work can progress reliably.
Define the required record
Clarify whether the instruction requires notice advice, a schedule of condition, an award, a licence review, technical observations or major-works support. The output should identify its limits and the decisions retained by owners, landlords, contract administrators or legal advisers rather than blurring those responsibilities.
Related professional services
Open the service that best matches the required scope and outcome.
Read the supporting guidance
These existing guides explain common choices, processes and technical distinctions in more detail.