What is a schedule of condition?

During the Party Wall process, a key point in the procedure is the ‘Schedule of Condition’ (sometimes referred to as a ‘SOC’).

The meaning of this is quite self-explanatory, being a ‘schedule of condition’, which in short is a report outlining the pre-construction condition of an adjoining property.

The Schedule of Condition survey, although somewhat basic in principle, is an incredibly useful point in a Party Wall appointment, as it provides a detailed understanding of the condition of the adjoining property before any works go ahead.

This allows any possible damage or changes to the adjoining owner’s building fabric and external elements to help evidence causation by the adjacent works.

The report, providing a baseline understanding of the condition of the adjoining property, is useful in preventing a future dispute as to whether damage has been the result of adjacent works or was pre-existing.

Competent surveyors may have a stronger ability to identify whether damage has been the result of works or not from visual inspection and building pathology expertise, albeit it can prove difficult to prove these claims no matter how skilled the surveyor is.

A thorough Schedule of Condition, alongside a photographic schedule of the adjoining property, is paramount in protecting the adjoining property, preventing future disputes, and allowing for the necessary remedy to be put in place, whether it be compensation from the Building Owner under Section 7(2) or repair for specific works mentioned in Sections 2(2)(3), (4), (5), and (6) of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.