The best advice for appointing a Party Wall Surveyor is to choose your surveyor very carefully.
There are many Party Wall Surveyors covering Manchester and Cheshire so you should do some basic research before deciding on who you will eventually appoint in the event of a party wall dispute.
Many people do not know that once you appoint a surveyor under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 you cannot rescind the surveyors appointment no matter what reason you have to do so. In other words you have to continue with the same surveyor until the dispute is resolved. This is simply to prevent owners holding up the party wall process by constantly changing surveyors.
If you are the building owner, your surveyor should be able to provide you with either a fixed cost if your work is straight forward or at least give you an indication of costs. We can provide provisional costs for the work if you are the building owner or if we are acting as agreed surveyor and the work is simple in nature.
You also want your Party Wall Surveyor to be contactable when you need to contact him or her. Many people complain of the lack of personal service or communication when dealing with a large company of surveyors. All these points should factor in your final decision.

We are extremely grateful to Richard for his reassuring and down to earth approach to every aspect of our dispute, He clearly has an encyclopedic knowledge of his subject and couldn’t have been more helpful in successfully resolving our problem.
Susan Bentham- Piling & party fence wall, Hyde- June 2023
About Richard G Johnson
Richard G Johnson is a Member of the Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors and has been an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Building since qualifying in 1995 having been in the industry for nearly 40 years. Furthermore, he has a Diploma in English Law after completing the first 2 years of the LLb (Hons) law degree. Richard is also a member of the Pyramus & Thisbie Society which seeks to advance knowledge of party wall legislation and procedure and to promote best professional practice in its application.
In addition Richard G Johnson has successfully completed the RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) Expert Witness Certificate and is proficient to act as an Expert Witness under CPR35 in party wall matters. This training reflects Richard's commitment to maintaining the highest professional standards and providing objective informed advice in contentious matters.
With extensive experience in party wall surveying and a strong record in resolving complex neighbourly disputes, Richard combines technical expertise with a practical and balanced approach. His focus is always on delivering clear, impartial guidance, whether acting as an appointed surveyor, third surveyor or expert witness.
As the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 is a piece of government legislation and it makes sense that a party wall surveyor should have some legal training. Along with legal training there is also a need to have a good knowledge of construction and buildings.
When you choose to work with us as your party wall surveyor, you can be confident that your party wall matters will be handled professionally and efficiently, without unnecessary complication. Our fees are transparent and clearly outlined in our Standard Terms of Business, so you will never face unexpected costs. We have also invested in time management software to accurately log all work undertaken, allowing us to provide a detailed breakdown of time and charges.
When you need to speak to someone about your party wall matters you will always be talking directly to our surveyor rather than a secretary whether it is early morning or late at night and even weekends in most cases. We work nationwide and in and around London and we are particularly experienced in basement developments and have numerous ongoing basement party wall appointments at this time.


To safeguard your property or for advice about serving notice call now:
Richard G Johnson MPTS MFPWS ACIOB Dip Eng Law (Open) on 07740 257414 or 0333 577 3050