Walk through the party wall process
See every stage from planning to completion, how long each part takes, and exactly how the path changes if your neighbour consents or dissents.
The party wall process is not complicated, but it is easy to underestimate how long it takes and where it can branch. Builders booked too early is one of the most common, and most expensive, mistakes. This simulator shows you the whole path before you start.
The party wall process runs in five stages: plan the works, serve the notice, wait for the 14 day response, then either proceed on consent with a schedule of condition or, on dissent, agree a party wall award before works begin. Consent can complete in about two to three weeks. A dispute usually takes four to eight weeks.
Pick a route, step through it
How long it really takes
Timing is where most homeowners get caught out. The notice period alone is a legal minimum that you cannot shorten, and booking builders before it expires is a costly error.
On the consent route, where your neighbour agrees in writing, the process can wrap up in about two to three weeks. On the dissent route, where an award is needed, allow four to eight weeks from serving the notice. Complex basements or several neighbours can push that further.
The fixed legal timings. A party structure notice needs two months before works. A line of junction notice and an excavation notice need one month. After any notice, your neighbour has 14 days to respond, and silence is treated as dissent under Section 10. These periods are unchanged in 2026.
Where the path branches: consent and dissent
Everything up to the 14 day response is the same. After that, the route splits. On consent, you record a schedule of condition and proceed, with no award and no surveyor fees beyond the basics. On dissent, Section 10 brings in surveyors and a party wall award before any work can start. The simulator lets you flip between both so you can see the difference in steps and time.
Why this simulator helps
Other sites print the process as a wall of text. This lets you click through it, see the timings, and switch routes, so the plan is obvious at a glance.
Step by step
Click each stage to see what happens, who does it and how long it takes.
Both routes
Flip between consent and dissent and watch the steps and the total time change.
Real timings
The legal periods are built in, so you book builders at the right moment, not too early.
No email gate
The whole journey is on screen, free, with no form to fill before you can see it.
Three situations London homeowners face
These are representative situations, not named clients, but they show why timing matters.
The build that started on time
An owner served early, the neighbour consented inside the 14 days, and a schedule of condition was logged the same week. The process took under three weeks, and the builders started exactly when booked. The lesson: serve early and the consent route keeps your programme on track.
The award that took the time it needed
A basement notice met a dissent. Surveyors were appointed and an award drawn up, taking around six weeks in total. Because the owner had simulated the dissent route first, the build start was booked realistically and nothing was wasted. The lesson: plan for the dissent timeline and you avoid paying builders to wait.
The builders booked too soon
An owner booked the build for two weeks after serving, forgetting the notice period. The neighbour dissented, an award was needed, and the builders had to be rescheduled at a cost. The lesson: the notice period is a hard minimum, so map it before you book anyone.
Want us to run the whole process?
We serve the notice, handle the response, prepare the schedule and award, and keep your build on schedule.
Message us on WhatsAppFrequently asked questions
If your neighbour consents promptly, the process can complete in about two to three weeks. If a dispute arises and an award is needed, allow roughly four to eight weeks from serving the notice.
Plan the works, serve the party wall notice, wait for the neighbour’s response within 14 days, then either proceed on consent with a schedule of condition, or on dissent appoint surveyors and agree a party wall award before the works and completion.
Two months for a party structure notice covering work to a shared wall, and one month for a line of junction notice or an excavation notice, before the planned start of works.
If your neighbour does not consent in writing within 14 days, a dispute is deemed to have arisen under Section 10, and the award route begins even though they never objected directly.
Important: The timings shown are typical guides, not guarantees. Actual duration depends on how quickly your neighbour responds, the works involved and the number of neighbours. The legal notice periods are minimums set by the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Survey of Party Wall can manage the full process across London.