We share a boundary wall with next door, old brick, probably original to the houses. Part of it has started leaning and a few bricks have come loose at the top. My neighbour knocked on yesterday and said he has already got a quote for £2,400 to rebuild the leaning section and expects us to pay half. He didn’t ask if we wanted to get our own quote or anything, just presented it as a done deal. The wall is on the boundary line as far as I can tell from the deeds. Do I actually have to pay half, and can he just pick the builder without any input from me?
If the wall sits exactly on the boundary line it is almost certainly a party wall, in which case you both have responsibilities. But there is a big difference between a wall that needs structural rebuilding and one that just needs repointing and a few bricks replacing at the top. £2,400 for a section of garden wall sounds steep to me unless it is a long run or they are matching old imperial bricks.
Your neighbour cannot just appoint a builder and send you an invoice. That is not how it works. You are entitled to get your own quotes and to agree the scope of work. If it genuinely is structural and on the boundary then the Party Wall Act might apply, but for a garden wall most people just sort it out between themselves without going down that route.
I would get two quotes of your own and then have a conversation. If he has already gone ahead and had the work done without your agreement, that is a different (and messier) situation.
@greenwhistle_hants that makes sense, thank you. The wall does sit right on the line as far as I can tell from the deeds. Do you think we actually need a surveyor for something like this or can we just agree between us who pays what and get on with it. My worry is if we start down the formal party wall route it will cost more in fees than the actual repair.
@linda_m73, for a straightforward repair to an existing wall you almost certainly do not need to go down the formal Party Wall Act route. The Act mainly applies to new building work, not maintenance and repair of an existing structure. So you can breathe easy on that front.
What I would suggest is getting two or three quotes yourselves rather than relying solely on the neighbour’s builder. If you are splitting the cost 50/50 you both want to be comfortable with who is doing the work and what they are charging. Once you have agreed, put it in writing, even just an email exchange confirming the scope of work, the cost, and how you are splitting it. It sounds overly formal for a few bricks but if anything goes wrong later you will be glad you did.
One thing worth checking while you are at it: is the wall structural or just a garden boundary wall? If it is actually retaining anything or supporting a fence panel run, the lean might need more than a cosmetic fix.