The official party wall notice templates, explained
Last updated: 19 July 2026
The templates themselves are free — the government publishes example letters for every notice type. What people actually pay for is knowing which letters their project needs and completing them without an invalidating mistake. Here's each one, explained.
The four notice templates
| Official letter | When it applies | Notice period |
|---|---|---|
| Letter 1 — party structure notice (section 2) | Work on a shared wall, or a floor/ceiling between flats: steel beams, raising, cutting in, removing a chimney breast | 2 months |
| Letter 4 — line of junction, astride (section 1(2)) | A new wall built half on each side of the boundary — needs your neighbour's written consent | 1 month |
| Letter 6 — line of junction, own land (section 1(5)) | A new wall up to the boundary but wholly on your own land | 1 month |
| Letter 8 — excavation notice (section 6) | Digging within 3m of a neighbouring building and deeper than its foundations — or within 6m on a 45° line. Must include plans and sections | 1 month |
The same publication includes the reply forms your neighbour uses to respond — consent or dissent (letters 2, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 10). A well-served notice encloses them: neighbours who can answer by signing one form say yes far more readily than neighbours handed a blank page.
Everything is free from the government's publication Preventing and resolving disputes in relation to party walls, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Where DIY notices go wrong
A template can't stop the mistakes that invalidate notices. The common ones:
- The wrong letter, or too few of them. An extension often needs Letter 8 and Letter 6 — and sometimes Letter 1 too. Serving one when you need three restarts the clock.
- Not serving every owner. Both halves of a couple; the leaseholder and the freeholder of a flat. Missing one is a classic fatal defect.
- A start date inside the notice period — 2 months for section 2, 1 month for the others.
- An excavation notice without drawings. Letter 8 is not valid without plans and sections showing where and how deep you'll dig.
- Vague works descriptions, missing signatures, undated letters.
Your three routes
| Route | Cost | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| DIY from the gov.uk templates | Free | You're confident which sections apply and happy completing the letters by hand |
| Our checker + notice pack | Free check · £39 pack | The checker works out which notices you need; the pack delivers them pre-filled with your neighbours' reply forms, one print-and-post file per owner |
| A surveyor drafts and serves | £150–£400 | Complex works, or you want a professional handling it end to end — for basements, involve one from day one |
Not sure which letters your project needs? That's exactly what the free 90-second check answers.