Do I Need a Party Wall Notice for Roof Work?

A party wall is a wall shared by two properties. On a semi or a terrace it runs up through the loft and often carries the chimney. Most roof work stays on your side, which is why many jobs never need a notice.

Which roof jobs can trigger the Act?

Section 2(2)(g) of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 lets a building owner cut footings, or a projecting breast, jamb or flue, away from a party wall. GOV.UK lists a chimney coming off a party wall among the notifiable works. So a stack taken down to roof level, or a breast cut back in the loft, can be notifiable.

What about re-covering my own slope?

Stripping and re-covering your own side with new slates, tiles or battens is not among those works. Where the new covering meets the shared wall, at a flashing or a soaker, the way the work is done decides things, and a party wall surveyor can say whether it touches the party structure.

Our page on a party wall chimney deals with the commonest trigger. Everyday stack work sits under chimney repairs, and the homepage covers the rest.

When the Act does apply, the timing is fixed by section 3(2)(a): the notice must go out two months or more before work starts. Serving it is the building owner's job, not the roofer's.

Who serves the notice?

You do, as the owner of the property where the work is happening. A roofer can describe the job so your notice is accurate, because the paperwork asks what will be done and when. GOV.UK has the process and sample wording.

What can the neighbour do with it?

They can consent in writing, they can dissent and move the matter to surveyors, or they can say nothing at all. Silence does not count as agreement. GOV.UK warns against assuming that a lack of reply means they accept the works.

That fact catches people out. If a notice sits unanswered, the dispute procedure takes over and the start date moves with it. Build the two months into your planning. A roof that is leaking into the loft is a reason to make safe in the meantime, never a reason to skip a notice that the work needs.

The government's party wall guidance sets out each step.

A notice does not have to end in a row. Plenty of neighbours consent in writing and the work goes ahead as planned.

What if my neighbour objects?

If the two of you cannot agree, GOV.UK says a surveyor must be appointed. The surveyor, or two acting together, settle the terms in an award covering how and when the work will be done. That is a formal document rather than a chat over the fence.

Is this the same as asking building control?

No. Party wall questions go to a party wall surveyor. Building control looks at whether work meets the Building Regulations, which is a separate matter. Removing a chimney breast is a good example of both: it always needs Building Regulations approval, since the structure of the building includes the breast, and it may also need a party wall notice.

Our answer on building control in Taunton explains who to ask on that side. Both routes can apply to one job, and neither replaces the other.

We cannot give legal advice on notices, and a surveyor is the right person if the wording on a form is unclear. What we can do is describe the roof work in plain terms for them.

Even where no notice is needed, a shared roof deserves courtesy and a plan.

Should I tell my neighbour anyway?

Yes. Scaffold, ladders and a skip all affect the person next door, and a roofer working along a shared ridge or verge may need to reach across to their side. A short note before the survey date avoids awkward conversations later.

How is the join between two roofs handled?

On a terrace the roofs run into one another. Flashings, soakers and the ridge line up where one house ends and the next begins, so a repair on one side can show on the other. We photograph the join at the survey, and the photos go to you, so you can talk to your neighbour from the same picture.

If the job might put scaffold on the pavement, see our answer on the scaffold licence in Somerset. Once the scope is clear, one written price follows, which lets you set any notice dates against a realistic start rather than a hopeful one.

Roof work on a shared building is nearly always smoother when everyone knows the dates, the hours and what the scaffold will block.