No qualification or certificate is required by law to act as a party wall surveyor. Section 20 of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 defines a surveyor as any person not being a party to the matter appointed or selected under section 10. The Act applies to England and Wales only. Because the law sets no formal barrier to entry, you must check a surveyor's experience and professional background yourself before you appoint them to handle your dispute.
Does a party wall surveyor need a qualification?
The honest answer is that a party wall surveyor does not need a specific licence, degree or certificate to practice. The legislation governing this work does not demand any statutory regulation or mandatory training. You will often see surveyors advertising their membership of specialist bodies, but these are voluntary organisations rather than legal requirements.
The rules apply to England and Wales only. The Act came into force on 1 July 1997 and applies throughout these two nations. It does not apply to Scotland or Northern Ireland.
You only need a party wall surveyor when a disagreement happens. If no dispute arises, there is no requirement under the Act to appoint a surveyor at all.
What the Act says about who can act
The legal definition of who can do this job is extremely broad. Section 20 of the Act covers interpretation and defines the term surveyor for these purposes. It states that a surveyor means any person not being a party to the matter appointed or selected under section 10 to determine disputes in accordance with the procedures set out in this Act.
This means almost anyone can act as a party wall surveyor, with one strict exception. An owner cannot act for themselves. You cannot be your own surveyor, and your neighbour cannot be theirs, because the Act excludes a party to the matter from the role.
The official government guidance adds another important restriction based on practical impartiality. The person you appoint should not already have been engaged to supervise the building work.
The legal document produced in a dispute is the party wall award. It is not a certificate of qualification, and it should not be confused with a professional credential.
The booklet advice on choosing a surveyor
The government publishes an explanatory booklet to help homeowners understand the Act. This booklet was published on 12 May 2016, with no later update shown. It says it is not an authoritative interpretation of the law but a general guide, and it gives advice on who to look for when a dispute arises.
The booklet suggests looking for a qualified building professional with some experience or knowledge of party wall matters. Because anyone other than the owners can legally take the role, the responsibility falls entirely on you to vet them. The guidance says you should satisfy yourself as to the experience and professional qualifications of your adviser before you formally appoint them.
You will also need to discuss the cost of the work directly with the person you choose. The booklet confirms that there are no set charges for party wall surveyors. It is for clients to negotiate fees with the surveyor or surveyors involved in the dispute.
Owners can ask for a breakdown if they think costs are unreasonable. Getting a clear fee basis agreed up front is a crucial part of satisfying yourself that the professional is suitable for your project.
What the Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors involves
The Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors is a voluntary specialist body in this field. It offers membership to professionals who work with the Act, but you must remember that it does not regulate the surveying profession. Its grades are not a statutory licence.
The Faculty has four grades of membership, which are Student, Affiliate, Member and Fellow. The Member grade is for those with sufficient knowledge of the Act to practice. The Affiliate grade is designed for construction and legal professionals who do not practice the Act themselves but want to be involved with the body.
The Fellow grade is reserved for party wall surveyors with a minimum of five years of experience. To achieve this grade, the surveyor must be capable of acting as a Third Surveyor and requires attending the Third Surveyor seminar.
Surveyors can join by completing a specific two day training course. Completing this course makes a person eligible to apply for membership, but a construction background is a prerequisite for joining. They must also pass an interview, which is included if taken within 12 months of the course date.
The Faculty's two day course page says that after two years and up to three years from the course a refresher course must be completed, and after three years the two day course must be re-sat.
The Faculty's course page gives an annual subscription fee of £195, due on 1 July each year. The Faculty maintains a directory on its website where you can search for members by postcode and surveyor type, such as Party Wall Surveyor, Third Surveyor and Mediator. A separate search allows you to find members by name or company, and the page gives 01424 883300 for help.
When you check the register, you will only see corporate members. Non-corporate members, namely Associate, Affiliate and Student Members, do not appear on the register. If someone claims to be a member but is not on the public search, they may hold one of these non-corporate grades.
What the Pyramus and Thisbe Society involves
The Pyramus and Thisbe Society is another voluntary body for professionals working with the Act. The Society calls itself a learned society and explicitly states that it is not a trade organisation. Most members are surveyors, but the Society also includes architects, engineers and solicitors who deal with neighbour disputes.
Entry to the Society is available at Student, Associate or Affiliate levels. Full membership can only be achieved through the associate entry route. All new applicants must complete a minimum probationary period of two years as Associates before applying to become a Member.
During this process, associate applicants must be supported by a proposer and a seconder who are already Members or Fellows. Fellowship is heavily restricted and is only awarded to Members who have made exceptional contributions to the Society.
The Society restricts who can use letters after their name. Only full Members and Fellows may use post nominals. Members use the post nominal MPTS, and Fellows use the post nominal FPTS. Members with the MPTS designation are those who practice in matters relating to the Act as Appointed Surveyors.
The Society does not have formal complaint or disciplinary procedures for the public to use against its members. Instead, it has a Protocol its members are expected to follow. This Protocol includes acting as a party wall surveyor impartially, and carrying out their duties with reasonable skill and care.
Members are listed in the Society's online directory of party wall surveyors. The Society has a search page on its website where you can find professionals in your area. A listing shows membership of the Society. The Protocol is something members are expected to follow, and it is not a formal complaints or disciplinary process.
Chartered status is a separate question
When looking for a qualified building professional, you will often encounter chartered surveyors. A surveyor may hold other professional memberships alongside, or instead of, Faculty or Society membership, and each can be checked with the relevant body. Membership of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors is not a party wall qualification in itself, and it is not a legal requirement for party wall work.
Agreed surveyor or one surveyor each
When a neighbour dissents to a party wall notice, a dispute arises. At this point, the owners have two choices for how to proceed under the Act. Where owners cannot agree directly, they can appoint one Agreed Surveyor, or each owner can appoint a surveyor and the two draw up the award together.
Surveyors must consider the interests and rights of both owners and draw up an award impartially. This applies to an Agreed Surveyor as much as to any surveyor appointed by one owner.
If the neighbours choose to appoint one surveyor each, those two professionals work together to agree on the terms. A third surveyor is called in only if the two appointed surveyors cannot agree on a specific point.
This mechanism is an important factor when deciding whether to use one professional or two. With one Agreed Surveyor, there is no third surveyor to call upon if you are unhappy with a decision. You must rely entirely on that single professional's impartiality and knowledge of the Act.
Questions to ask before you appoint
Because the law relies on you to check a professional's suitability, you must ask direct questions before signing their terms of engagement. Do not assume that a surveyor is experienced in neighbour disputes just because they carry out regular home buyer surveys. Use this checklist of questions to test their knowledge and approach.
- What specific training have you completed and which specialist body do you belong to?
- How many party wall awards have you produced for properties like mine?
- Are you proposing to act as the Agreed Surveyor or to act solely for me?
- How do you ensure impartiality when dealing with an angry or difficult neighbour?
- What is your fee basis, and will you charge a fixed fee or an hourly rate?
- Do you hold professional indemnity insurance that covers this specific type of statutory work?
- Will you or your firm be supervising the actual building works once they begin?
If a surveyor struggles to answer these clearly, look for someone else. A good professional will welcome these questions and will easily explain how they handle fees, impartiality and the legal process.
How to check a surveyor you are considering
Once a professional answers your questions, you should verify their claims independently. Never take a logo on a website or a set of letters after a name at face value. Look them up on the relevant official directories to confirm their status is active and correct.
If they claim to be a member of the Faculty, use the search tool on their website to find them by name or company. Remember that non-corporate members do not appear on this register, so you may need to call the Faculty directly to check an Affiliate or Student grade. If they claim to be a member of the Pyramus and Thisbe Society, look for their name in the Society's online directory.
This table shows what certain memberships and roles mean under the Act and what they do not guarantee.
|
What membership shows |
What it does not show |
|---|---|
|
A Faculty Member has met the Faculty's entry route and is listed on its register |
Does not show a legal qualification, regulation of the profession or a guarantee of good work |
|
A Society Member uses the post nominal MPTS and has been through the probation period |
Does not show a formal complaints or disciplinary process, because the Society has none |
|
Faculty Fellow status means at least 5 years of experience and the Third Surveyor seminar |
Does not show experience of a job like yours, or that you have a third surveyor to call upon with one Agreed Surveyor |
Always ask the professional to confirm their exact status in writing before you agree to their fees.
Common questions
What is the Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors?
The Faculty is a voluntary specialist body that provides training and membership grades for professionals working with the Act. Its course page says a construction background is a prerequisite for joining and that an interview must be passed. It is not a government regulator and membership is not legally required to practice.
What does the Pyramus and Thisbe Society do?
The Society is a learned society made up of surveyors, architects, engineers and solicitors who deal with neighbour disputes. It requires new applicants to complete a two year probationary period as Associates before they can become full Members. Members are expected to follow a Protocol of impartial and careful conduct.
Can any surveyor be a party wall surveyor?
Yes, under section 20 of the Act, any person who is not a party to the matter can act as a surveyor to resolve the dispute, and an owner cannot act for themselves. The booklet suggests looking for a qualified building professional with some experience or knowledge of party wall matters.
Do I need a certificate to prove my surveyor is qualified?
No, there is no legal certificate of qualification for this role. The document that resolves a dispute is the party wall award. You should verify their experience and memberships directly rather than asking for a statutory licence that does not exist.
Next steps for your party wall project
Finding the right professional requires a little research, but it protects your property and prevents delays to your building work. Take these practical steps before you make your final choice.
- Confirm that your project actually requires notice under the Act and falls within England or Wales.
- Check if your neighbour has dissented, as you only need to appoint a professional if a dispute arises.
- Ask potential candidates for their fee basis, their experience with similar homes, and whether they will act as an Agreed Surveyor.
- Verify their membership status on the Faculty or Society directories before you sign their terms of engagement.
- Ensure they are not already engaged to supervise the building work, so they can remain entirely impartial.
Once you know what questions to ask and which professional bodies to look for, you can find a surveyor near you. A listing on this site does not show whether someone belongs to the Faculty or the Society. For fees and what to expect next, read our guide on when you need a party wall surveyor and what it costs.
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