Service
Schedule of condition surveys
Before the builders arrive, we record exactly what next door looks like. If a crack appears later, nobody has to argue about whether it was there before.
- Before work starts
- Measured and photographed
- A copy for both owners
What a schedule of condition is
It is a written and photographed record of the parts of the neighbouring property that the building work could affect, made before the work starts. It is normally attached to the party wall award, and both owners get a copy. It does not judge the property. It simply fixes the facts on a given date.
What we record
- Rooms on the party wall side: walls, ceilings, floors, cornices, fireplaces and built-in joinery.
- Existing cracks, measured in millimetres and photographed with a scale beside them.
- External walls, garden walls, paths and fences near the work.
- Chimney stacks, roof slopes and gutters where loft or roof work is planned.
- Damp patches, doors and windows that stick, and anything else that might later be blamed on the building work.
Crack monitors
Where an existing crack could move while the work goes on, we may fix a tell-tale gauge across it. One plate carries a millimetre grid and the other a crosshair, so movement becomes a number to read, not an opinion to argue about.
Why it matters on London Clay
Much of South London stands on London Clay, which shrinks in a dry summer and swells again after a wet winter. Cracks open and close with the seasons in houses nobody is working on. A schedule taken before work starts, with crack widths written down, is the only fair way to tell seasonal movement from damage caused by the building work.
When we do it
Once the award terms are settled and before work starts. At the end of the job we can return with the schedule in hand and check for changes, so any damage is identified and put right quickly.
If your neighbour has consented
Many neighbours consent to a notice but ask for a schedule of condition. That is a sensible middle path: no award, but an agreed record. We do these as a standalone service for a fixed £350.
If you are the neighbour
A schedule protects you most of all. Make sure it covers every room on the party wall side, that the cracks you know about are in it, and that you get your own copy.
Questions people ask
How long does a schedule of condition take?
The visit usually takes an hour or two for a typical South London house, longer for a big basement scheme. The written schedule with photographs follows.
Do I need to be there?
Someone needs to let us in. It helps if you are there to point out anything you already know about, such as a crack that has been there for years.
Who pays for it?
Usually the building owner, as part of the party wall costs. If you are the neighbour, you should not normally be asked to pay for it.
Is it the same as a building survey?
No. A building survey judges the condition and value of a property you are buying. A schedule of condition is a factual record, made on a particular date, of the parts of a property the building work could affect.