Party Wall Notice Template: Free Letter Generator (UK)
Loft conversion, extension, chimney breast out, or digging foundations near next door? The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 requires written notice to your neighbour before certain works — and the generator below writes the correct notice for all three types, with the right notice period built in.
At a glance
- Shared wall works
- 2 months' notice (party structure)
- New wall at the boundary
- 1 month (line of junction)
- Digging within 3m or 6m
- 1 month (excavation)
- Neighbour's response window
- 14 days
✍️ Party wall notice generator
[Your full name] [Your address] 18 August 2026 To: [Adjoining owner's name] [Adjoining owner's address] Dear [Neighbour's name], Notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 — section 3 (party structure notice) As the owner of [your address], I am giving you notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 of my intention to carry out the following works: [Description of the works] The works are intended to begin on or after [start date], and in any case not before the notice period required by the Act has passed. Under the Act, you may consent to the works in writing, or dissent. If you dissent, or do not respond within 14 days, the Act provides for a surveyor (or surveyors) to be appointed to agree a party wall award, at my expense in the usual way. You may also appoint your own surveyor. I am happy to discuss the works with you at any time — most notices are resolved with a conversation. Please confirm receipt of this notice. Yours sincerely, [Your full name]
Assembled in your browser — nothing you type is sent or stored anywhere. A template is a starting point, not legal advice: adjust the wording to your situation, and where the page mentions statutory rules, check them against your own case before sending.
Which notice you need
- Party structure notice — 2 months. Work on a shared wall or structure: removing a chimney breast, inserting beams, cutting in for a loft conversion, raising or underpinning the wall.
- Line of junction notice — 1 month. Building a new wall at or astride the boundary line, typically for an extension.
- Adjacent excavation notice — 1 month. Digging within 3 metres of a neighbour's structure and deeper than their foundations — or within 6 metres where the dig cuts a 45° line drawn down from their foundations. Extensions and basements trigger this constantly.
One project can require more than one notice, and works affecting neighbours on both sides need notices to each. Our guide to whether you need a party wall agreement walks through the borderline cases.
What happens after you serve it
Your neighbour has 14 days and three options:
- Consent in writing — done. Keep the consent with your project paperwork, take dated photos of their side of the wall anyway, and build.
- Dissent — the Act's surveyor process starts. You can jointly appoint one "agreed surveyor", or each appoint your own; they produce a party wall award recording condition and rules for the work. The building owner normally pays.
- Silence — counts as dissent after 14 days, and the surveyor route follows.
The practical advice every surveyor gives: talk before you serve. A notice landing cold on a doormat starts more disputes than any extension — show the plans over a cup of tea first, then the notice is a formality rather than a shot across the bows.
Frequently asked questions
Can I write my own party wall notice?
Yes — no solicitor or surveyor is needed to serve notice. It must be in writing, identify the owners and the property, describe the works, and give the start date respecting the notice period. The generator above includes all of it.
What happens if I don't serve a party wall notice?
Your neighbour can seek a court injunction stopping the work, and you lose the Act's protections — including the framework that would otherwise resolve any damage dispute. Serving notice is free; not serving it can be very expensive.
Does my neighbour have to agree before I can build?
No — dissent does not block the work. It moves the project into the surveyor process, which produces an award allowing the work with conditions. Only a defective or missing notice truly stalls things.
How long is a party wall notice valid?
Twelve months from service. If the work has not started within a year, notice must be served again.
General information only, not financial or legal advice. Templates are a starting point — adjust them to your situation, and take advice where the stakes justify it.
