The Pyramus and Thisbe Society is a learned society for professionals with a particular interest in matters relating to the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. It seeks to advance knowledge of party wall legislation and procedure and to promote best professional practice in its application. Surveyors choose to join it. No law requires a party wall surveyor to belong to it or to hold any party wall qualification.
What the Pyramus and Thisbe Society is
The organisation describes itself as a true learned society, rather than a trade organisation. While the majority of Pyramus and Thisbe Society members are surveyors, the Society also includes architects, structural engineers, solicitors, barristers and others with an interest in the subject.
The Society says it is organised on a regional basis, with each branch having its own chairman and programme of events. Its Branches page lists 14 branches, which are Cambridgeshire, Devon and Cornwall, East Midlands, Essex, Kent, London, Norfolk, North East, North West, Severnside, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex and Thames Valley.
The About page also says the Society started life as a club of likeminded professionals and played a pivotal role in the framing of the present Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Those are the Society's own descriptions of itself, so read them as its account of its history and not as an independent assessment.
Where the Society came from
The organisation was originally established as a Club back in 1974. It was founded by a group of the leading party wall surveyors of the time, and the Society's history page says it was originally limited to just 100 members.
In 2020, the decision was taken by the National Council to develop the Pyramus and Thisbe Club as a Learned Society. The change was designed to give members a structured framework for professional development together with recognised post nominal status. The history page does not state a date for the change of name.
Is membership a legal requirement?
Membership of the Society is not a legal requirement. The official government explanatory booklet states that the term surveyor under the Act can include any person who is not a party to the matter.
The same booklet says you can appoint almost anyone you like to act as your surveyor. The only restriction it gives is that the person should not have already been engaged to supervise the building work. The booklet does not set out formal qualification requirements, so you do not have to choose a surveyor who belongs to any specific society or institute.
Surveyors must consider the interests and rights of both owners and draw up an award impartially. Owners can appoint one Agreed Surveyor to act for both sides, or each can appoint one. If two surveyors cannot agree, they select a third surveyor. Our guide on party wall surveyor qualifications covers both party wall bodies briefly and this guide goes deeper on the Society.
What MPTS and FPTS mean
When you receive a letter or a quote from a party wall surveyor, you might see letters after their name. MPTS stands for Member of the Pyramus and Thisbe Society and FPTS stands for Fellow of the Pyramus and Thisbe Society. These letters refer to the Society's own membership levels and are not a legal licence.
The Membership Policy dated May 2023 lists seven levels in all. Alongside Member and Fellow, there are Student, Associate, Affiliate, Honorary Fellow and Retired. An Associate is someone completing the probationary period before applying to become a Member. Affiliates are individuals involved in the administration of the Act other than as appointed or selected surveyors, and the policy gives lawyers and engineers as examples.
How someone is admitted as a Member
All new applicants must complete a minimum probationary period of two years. An Associate application needs a proposer, who acts as a mentor, and a seconder. Both must be Members or Fellows.
Applicants for Member status must have been Associate members for at least two years and must be supported by a proposer and a seconder. The policy says there may be exceptions, but it gives a generally considered minimum, which is listed below.
- Two awards as named surveyor
- A summary of relevant experience with supporting documentation
- An interview in which the applicant answers questions regarding the working of the Act
Continuing professional development applies at both stages. Associates are expected to keep a minimum of five hours of relevant CPD in the first year, and Members must also keep a minimum of five hours. For both, at least three hours must be presented by the Society.
The Membership Policy gives one route to becoming a Fellow. Under that route, a Fellow has been a Member for at least two years and is preferably, but not necessarily, a professionally qualified member of a recognised construction industry organisation. A Fellow must also have been involved in the Society at a local or national level, making a positive contribution.
What members are bound by
The Society says its members are bound by the Society Protocols. These include upholding the rights of building owners and adjoining owners equally and impartially, which matches the GOV.UK booklet's requirement that surveyors draw up an award impartially.
Members must also undertake and discharge all responsibilities with reasonable skill and care, and with reasonable expedition. They are required to comply with the Society's Practice Notes or give a good reason why not.
What membership proves and what it does not
A surveyor with MPTS or FPTS after their name has been through the admission steps in the Society's Membership Policy. The table below sets out what that does and does not tell you.
|
What membership proves |
What it does not prove |
|---|---|
|
The person completed a two year probationary period |
That any law requires this membership or any party wall qualification |
|
The generally considered minimum for a Member is two awards as named surveyor, though there may be exceptions |
That a member is the only kind of surveyor allowed to do the work |
|
The person was interviewed on the working of the Act |
That the person has been vetted beyond the admission steps in the Membership Policy |
|
The Society expects the person to uphold the rights of both owners impartially |
That the Find a Surveyor page lists every member |
How to find a member on the Society website
The Society's Benefits of Being a Member page lists a listing in the online directory of party wall surveyors on its website, and inclusion in the Find a Party Wall Professional area of the site. The directory is reached through the Find a Surveyor page.
- Open the Find a Surveyor page on the Society website.
- Use the map style search or click the Use my current location button.
- Read the entry to confirm the surveyor's post nominals and contact details.
- If the surveyor is not listed, ask them directly.
The page text does not say which members it covers, so an entry is a way to find a name and not proof that the directory is complete.
Complaints and concerns about a member
The About page describes a Protocol to which the Society expects its members to adhere, and says details of how to bring concerns about a member's behaviour to the Society's attention are on the site. The Society also publishes a Complaints Policy dated May 2023. This section describes that policy as it is written.
The policy says complaints will be accepted from members of the Society and from members of the public regarding a surveyor's breach of the Society's protocol. A member of the public makes a complaint through the Society Administrator, and it is passed to the Membership Officer.
Two kinds of complaint are not accepted. Complaints about the content of awards are not accepted, and the complainant is directed to the procedure in statute. Complaints about breaches of a member's own professional association or institution are not accepted either, and the complainant is recommended to take them to that organisation.
A complaint must first have been referred to the member in writing, and the member shall have responded in writing within 14 days. The Society then acknowledges the complaint and advises the proposed course of action and the likely review date, which in all normal circumstances is within sixteen weeks.
After review the Membership Group can recommend one of four responses.
- No breach of the Society's protocol is found and there is no further action
- A breach is found and the member is advised to avoid a reoccurrence
- A breach is found and the member is required to undertake additional CPD
- A breach is found and the member's membership is terminated
What the Society says about the party wall process
The Society's Party Wall FAQs page gives its own answers to common questions, and they are worth knowing when a notice lands on your doormat. Treat them as the Society's view, alongside the official GOV.UK booklet.
The page says you do not technically require a surveyor to serve a notice. It advises seeking assistance so that the notice contains the minimum information for validity, because an invalid notice can void the process. If a neighbour dissents, they can agree to the same surveyor, known as the Agreed Surveyor, or request their own, and the building owner then also appoints a surveyor.
On fees, the page says the fees of a party wall surveyor are typically met by the building owner, but this can vary. In the event of a dispute, it says the surveyors will determine the fair split of the fees. It also says a solicitor should not be needed during a party wall process, because the procedures under the Act are dealt with by a surveyor.
Boundary questions are treated separately. The Society says boundary disputes cannot be dealt with under the process of a Party Wall Agreement. An agreement can set out the owners' rights and obligations for the notifiable works without knowing a true boundary position, but it will not dictate the true boundary line. For the wider process, read our guide on when you need a party wall surveyor and what it costs.
Common questions
Is the Society a regulator or an official register?
No. It calls itself a true learned society and not a trade organisation, and the letters it awards are its own post nominals.
Who can join the Society?
Most members are surveyors, but the Society says it also includes architects, structural engineers, solicitors, barristers and others with an interest in the subject. The Affiliate level exists for people involved in administering the Act in other roles.
Does the Society have local groups?
Yes. It lists 14 branches, each with its own chairman and programme of events.
What did the 2020 decision change?
The National Council decided to develop the Club as a Learned Society, giving members a structured framework for professional development and recognised post nominal status.
What can a Fellow have done that a Member has not?
Under the one route the Membership Policy describes, a Fellow has been a Member for at least two years and has made a positive contribution to the Society at local or national level.
Can I complain to the Society about the content of an award?
No. Under its Complaints Policy, complaints about the content of awards are not accepted and the complainant is directed to the procedure in statute.
Next steps
The letters MPTS and FPTS tell you that a surveyor holds one of the Society's own membership levels. They do not tell you that the law requires it, and the Find a Surveyor page does not say which members it covers. If you cannot find a surveyor there, ask them directly.
If you need a party wall surveyor, you can find a surveyor near you to discuss your project.
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