Compare your party wall fee routes
See the consent, agreed surveyor and two surveyor routes side by side, and exactly how much one agreed surveyor can save you.
Most fee guides give you one number. The real question is which route you end up on, because the gap between an agreed surveyor and two separate surveyors can be hundreds of pounds per neighbour. This tool lays all three routes out together.
Party wall fees depend on the route. The consent route is cheapest, with no award. If a neighbour dissents, one impartial agreed surveyor is cheaper than each side appointing their own. The building owner normally pays the reasonable fees, so choosing the agreed surveyor route directly lowers your cost.
Compare your routes
The three routes explained
Every party wall job ends up on one of three routes. Knowing which one you are heading for is the difference between a small bill and a large one.
Consent route. Your neighbour agrees in writing within 14 days. No award is needed, so you pay only for the notice and the schedule of condition. Cheapest and fastest.
Agreed surveyor route. Your neighbour dissents, but both sides agree to use one impartial surveyor. A single award is prepared, so there is only one set of award fees. The middle option, and usually the smart one.
Two surveyor route. Your neighbour dissents and each side appoints their own surveyor. The building owner normally pays both sets of reasonable fees, so this is the most expensive route.
What drives the gap. The jump from consent to dissent adds the award. The jump from an agreed surveyor to two surveyors adds a second set of award fees. The figures shown are indicative and based on typical London ranges, scaled by project, neighbours and area.
Who pays the fees
Under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, the building owner carrying out the works normally pays the reasonable surveyor fees, including the adjoining owner’s surveyor where one is appointed. That is exactly why the route matters to your budget. Steering a dissent towards a single agreed surveyor, rather than two, is one of the few levers you control. See how the award works on our agreements and awards page.
Why this tool helps
Plenty of sites have a basic fee calculator, but they give one figure and stop. This is the only one that puts the three routes next to each other and shows the agreed surveyor saving.
Routes side by side
Consent, agreed surveyor and two surveyors in one view, not a single buried number.
Shows the saving
The agreed surveyor saving is spelled out, the figure other calculators leave hidden.
Scales by neighbour
Each route adjusts per affected neighbour, the way real fees do.
No email gate
All three figures on screen at once, free, with nothing to fill in first.
Three situations London homeowners face
These are representative situations, not named clients, but they show the route choice in pounds.
The cheapest path taken
An owner spoke to the neighbour early and got written consent. With no award needed, the bill stayed to the notice and the schedule of condition, the lowest of the three routes. The lesson: the consent route is always the cheapest, and a conversation is what unlocks it.
The dissent that stayed affordable
A neighbour dissented, but agreed to use a single surveyor. One award, one set of fees, well below what two surveyors would have cost. The lesson: dissent does not have to be expensive if you steer it to one agreed surveyor.
The route that cost the most
A nervous neighbour insisted on their own surveyor. With the building owner paying both sets of fees on a complex central London basement, this landed at the top of the range. The lesson: two surveyors is the dearest route, so it is worth offering the agreed surveyor option first.
Want the lowest cost route?
We often act as the single agreed surveyor, which keeps a dissent affordable. Send your details for a fixed fee.
Message us on WhatsAppFrequently asked questions
An agreed surveyor is one impartial surveyor appointed by both sides, which is cheaper. Two surveyors means each side appoints their own, and the building owner usually pays both sets of reasonable fees.
Using one agreed surveyor instead of two separate surveyors typically removes a second set of award fees, which can save a meaningful amount per affected neighbour. The exact saving depends on the project and location.
Yes. If your neighbour consents in writing within 14 days, no award is needed, so you only pay for the notice and the schedule of condition. That is always the lowest cost route.
The building owner carrying out the works normally pays the reasonable surveyor fees, including the adjoining owner’s surveyor where one is appointed.
Important: The figures shown are indicative guides only, not quotations, and exclude VAT where applicable. Actual fees depend on the project, access, the number of neighbours and how each neighbour responds. The building owner is normally responsible for the reasonable surveyor fees under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Survey of Party Wall provides confirmed fixed fee quotes once your project is reviewed.