The schedule of condition: A party wall surveyor's best friend?

Abstract

There are some very large construction sites in London and indeed across the country that are at various stages in their execution. A lot of the larger developments are on sites that affect a large number of adjoining owners whose interests could be residential, commercial, retail or even subterranean, in the case of London Underground. Several of the sites are choosing to excavate basements to maximise the development, the size of which would be confined or restricted above ground. With the predicted movement within and beneath the surrounding properties there is a real need to ensure that clear and accurate records of these potentially delicate and fragile structures are put in place before works commence. There are many factors that influence how a schedule of condition is undertaken and why. This paper explains the procedure and the thought processes that you should go through to produce a schedule of condition, and uses a recent instruction as an example.