Party Wall Insurance, protect yourselves and your neighbours

Party Wall Insurance, protect yourselves and your neighbours

The Party Wall Act 1996 provides a framework for preventing and resolving disputes in relation to party walls, boundary walls and excavations near neighbouring buildings. Any building owner proposing to start work covered by the Act must give adjoining owners notice of their intentions in the way set down in the Act. Getting this wrong could delay your build and make your project more costly.

Adjoining owners can agree or disagree with what is proposed. Where they disagree, the Act provides a mechanism for resolving disputes. The Act is separate from obtaining planning permission or building regulations approval. Under the Party Wall Act, any damage to an adjoining property must be rectified by the building owner to their own cost.

Any damage that results from a contractor’s negligent work should be covered under their all risks insurance, and any defective design by the architect will be covered under their professional indemnity insurance. There is additional cover available for the employer called non-negligent damage insurance.

Peter Richardson is a Director at Sennocke International Insurance Services works with the Self Build-Zone and Build-Zone brands and overall responsibility for construction insurance.

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Don't forget, premium cost depends on several factors, such as the limit of the indemnity required, contract value and length, proximity of other properties to the proposed works, including depth of excavation or piling and depth of groundwater that needs removing.

Still got questions? Contact us today and one of our experts can provide further advice and guidance.

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