1. Notice
Your neighbour serves a notice describing the proposed notifiable work.
2. Response
You consider whether to consent, dissent, concur in an agreed surveyor or appoint your own surveyor, depending on the notice and circumstances. For party-structure and excavation notices, failure to consent within 14 days can create a deemed dispute. A new-wall notice under section 1 has different consequences; check whether the wall is proposed astride the boundary or wholly on the building owner’s land.
3. Surveyor appointment
If a dispute arises, the statutory surveyor process is engaged.
4. Information and condition record
The surveyor or surveyors review the relevant drawings and information. A schedule of condition is commonly prepared before work starts.
5. Award
The award determines the statutory dispute and may regulate the time and manner of the works and include appropriate protections.
6. Works and completion
The work proceeds. If damage or a further dispute arises, it can be considered using the evidence and statutory framework where jurisdiction exists.
At every stage, focus on the actual decision you need to make rather than trying to solve the entire project at once.