Glossary
Schedules of condition before London building work starts
Photographic and written record of a neighbour's property before work starts, made under the Party Wall Act.
Photographic and written record of a neighbour's property before work starts, made under the Party Wall Act.
A schedule of condition is a dated photographic and written record of a neighbouring property before notifiable work starts. It is prepared as part of the party wall process and is the single most useful document either owner has if damage is alleged afterwards.
Every room and elevation likely to be affected, photographed and described: existing cracks with their width and location, uneven floors, damp staining, defective plaster, the condition of decorations, and the state of external brickwork and paving. Crack widths are usually measured and referenced to a gauge in the photograph.
The point is not to prove the neighbour's house is in poor condition. It is to fix an agreed starting point so that later argument is about change, not about existence.
After notice is served and before work begins, by the party wall surveyor or surveyors. It forms part of the award and is signed or acknowledged by both parties. Where the neighbour consents in writing and no award is produced, an independently prepared schedule is still strongly advisable — it is cheap insurance for both sides.
The surveyors compare the current condition with the schedule. Damage attributable to the notifiable works is made good by the building owner, either in kind or by a payment in lieu. Without a schedule the argument becomes one person's recollection against another's, and the building owner usually loses it.
Schedule of condition in a Tower Hamlets context: London Borough of Tower Hamlets (Tower Hamlets Council) runs 58 conservation areas including the Spitalfields Conservation Area and the Whitechapel Market Conservation Area, and an Article 4 direction is in force there, so permitted development cannot be assumed. That decides how schedule of condition is handled: £548 and 8 weeks for a Tower Hamlets householder application, or £274 for the Lawful Development Certificate that records schedule of condition as lawful. The law behind schedule of condition sits in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the GPDO 2015 and the Building Regulations 2010.
| Prepared by | Party wall surveyor |
|---|---|
| Timing | After notice, before work starts |
| Content | Photographs, crack widths, defects, decorations |
| Part of | The party wall award |
| Where consent given | Still advisable |
| Purpose | Fix an agreed pre-works baseline |
Not in itself, but it forms part of virtually every party wall award.
You can, but an independent dated record carries far more weight.
Only the parts capable of being affected by the notifiable works.
Pick a slot that suits you. No obligation and no sales pressure, just straight answers on your planning route.
