The Powerful Advantages of Employing an Agreed Surveyor in Domestic Projects
posted 15th September 2025
When it comes to home improvements and extensions, maintaining good relations with your neighbours can sometimes be as important as the building work itself. Disputes under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 can escalate quickly when multiple surveyors are involved. However, employing a single agreed surveyor for both parties offers a practical, fair, and cost-effective solution.
This article explores the many advantages of using an agreed surveyor in domestic projects and why it can be the best choice for neighbours who want to protect both their properties and their relationships.
Introduction: Why Good Neighbourly Relations Matter
Neighbours often live side by side for years, if not decades. A construction project—such as an extension, loft conversion, or boundary wall adjustment—can test even the strongest of neighbourly ties. Minor misunderstandings about noise, access, or property boundaries can quickly escalate into major disputes.
Choosing an agreed surveyor helps avoid creating divisions where none previously existed, ensuring that both sides feel represented fairly.
Understanding the Role of a Party Wall Surveyor
What is an Agreed Surveyor?
An agreed surveyor is a single, impartial professional appointed by both the building owner (the one carrying out the works) and the adjoining owner (the neighbour). Their role is to administer the Party Wall process fairly and protect the interests of both parties.
The Difference Between Separate and Agreed Surveyors
• Separate surveyors: Each neighbour appoints their own surveyor, potentially leading to higher fees and prolonged disputes.
• Agreed surveyor: A single professional acts for both parties, offering a streamlined, cost-effective, and balanced approach.
Key Advantages of Using an Agreed Surveyor
Preserving and Strengthening Neighbourly Relations
By agreeing on a single professional, both neighbours demonstrate mutual trust and cooperation. This goodwill often helps maintain harmony not just during the works, but long after completion.
Significant Cost Savings for Both Parties
Appointing two or even three surveyors can double or triple the costs. An agreed surveyor reduces fees substantially, which is especially important in domestic projects with modest budgets.
Avoiding Unnecessary Conflict and Hostility
Multiple surveyors can sometimes create tension, with each side feeling the need to defend its client’s interests aggressively. An agreed surveyor neutralises this dynamic by focusing on fairness rather than sides.
Streamlined Process and Faster Resolution
With only one surveyor managing the process, decisions are made faster, reducing delays to the project and minimising disruption for both parties.
Greater Transparency and Fairness
An agreed surveyor’s role is to act impartially. By serving both parties, they must demonstrate fairness and balance, giving each neighbour confidence in the outcome.
The Importance of Integrity and Impartiality
Qualities of a Trustworthy Agreed Surveyor
A good agreed surveyor should have:
• Professional accreditation (e.g., RICS or Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors membership)
• A reputation for fairness and impartiality
• Strong communication skills
• Experience with domestic building projects
Safeguards for Both Building Owners and Adjoining Owners
The law requires surveyors to act impartially, regardless of who pays their fees. This safeguard ensures that even when appointed as an agreed surveyor, they cannot favour one side over the other.
Common Misconceptions About Agreed Surveyors
“They Only Work for the Building Owner” Myth
Some adjoining owners fear that the agreed surveyor will side with the neighbour doing the work. In reality, the surveyor’s duty is to the Act, not to any individual.
Concerns About Lack of Representation
Adjoining owners sometimes believe they lose their voice by not having their own surveyor. However, a competent agreed surveyor must give equal weight to both parties’ concerns.
Practical Scenarios Where an Agreed Surveyor Works Best
Small Extensions and Loft Conversions
Straightforward projects with minimal risk of damage are ideal for appointing an agreed surveyor.
Garden Walls and Boundary Adjustments
Where clarity and fairness are crucial, a single surveyor prevents unnecessary escalation.
Shared Maintenance and Repairs
Routine works such as repairing a party wall or shared guttering can be managed quickly and economically by one surveyor.
How to Choose the Right Agreed Surveyor
Professional Credentials to Look For
• Membership with RICS or FPWS
• Demonstrated impartiality
• Positive client testimonials
Questions Neighbours Should Ask Together
• How will you ensure fairness to both of us?
• What experience do you have with similar projects?
• Can you provide references from past cases?
FAQs on Employing an Agreed Surveyor
1. Is it always possible to appoint an Agreed Surveyor?
No. If either party refuses, each is entitled to appoint their own surveyor.
2. What happens if trust breaks down after appointment?
Selecting the right Surveyor in the first place who can act impartially for old parties is the key to avoiding this issue. When researching such a Surveyor it is good to see if he sits on any disciplinary panels for the code of practice of their particular profession, this will be a good indication of the Surveyors impartiality.
3. Who pays the surveyor’s fees when both neighbours agree?
Typically, the building owner covers the costs, unless the works benefit both parties equally.
4. Can the adjoining owner suggest the agreed surveyor?
Yes, and often this helps build trust, as both sides feel they had input in the decision.
5. What if one neighbour insists on having their own surveyor?
That is their right under the Act.Therefore, it may be best to ask that Neighbour to select the agreed surveyor.
6. Is the decision of an agreed surveyor legally binding?
Yes. Awards issued by an agreed surveyor have the same legal standing as those by multiple surveyors.
Conclusion: Building Trust Through a Single Surveyor
Appointing an agreed surveyor can be one of the most effective ways to preserve harmony between neighbours while ensuring compliance with the Party Wall Act. By choosing a surveyor of proven integrity, both the building owner and adjoining owner gain confidence that their interests will be protected fairly.
For domestic projects, especially where neighbourly trust is valued, an agreed surveyor is not just a cost-saving option—it’s a relationship-saving one.
