Understanding ALTA Table A Item 10: Party Walls
The supplied title for this piece called this Item 9, but that number is off under the current standards. On the current ALTA Table A, Item 9 covers parking, and Item 10 covers division or party walls. This article uses the correct number, Item 10, so the information lines up with the 2026 ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey standards. Getting the number right matters when the goal is to be a reliable ALTA resource.
Item 10 is one of the optional items a client can request on an ALTA/NSPS survey. It deals with walls that sit on or near the line between two properties. The wording is specific, and so is the surveyor’s job. Below is what the item actually asks for and when it’s worth requesting.
Why Party Walls Get Their Own Table A Treatment
A wall that runs along or close to a property division is a special case. It can touch two owners at once. That physical fact raises questions a normal building line does not, so the standards give it a dedicated Table A item.
The key point is location. Item 10 is about where the wall sits in relation to the boundary and the adjoining property. It is not a ruling on who owns the wall or who has rights in it. A surveyor can measure and map the wall’s position, but legal ownership is a separate question with a separate process.
This is different from the general talk about encroachments or title exceptions covered elsewhere on the site. Here the focus is narrow. It’s the wall, the line, and the physical relationship between them.
What “Relationship and Location” Actually Tells the Reader
The current Item 10 asks the surveyor to determine the relationship and location of certain division or party walls, designated by the client, with respect to adjoining properties. Read that wording closely. It has three parts that shape the whole job.
First, the client picks the walls, so the surveyor does not check every wall on the site. Second, the work is about relationship and location, meaning position relative to the boundary and the neighbor. Third, it points to the adjoining property, not just the subject parcel. Each part narrows what the surveyor sets out to do.
None of that decides legal rights. The result is a survey finding about physical position. Questions about ownership, shared duties, or agreements sit outside the survey and usually call for a lawyer.
When a Wall Becomes a Transaction Detail Worth Investigating
Some buildings make this item worth requesting. Older commercial structures in built-up blocks often share walls with the building next door. Attached buildings, row-style construction, and additions built right up to a common line all fit the pattern.
A buyer or lender wants to know how those walls sit. If a wall straddles the line, it can affect future work on the building. It can affect rebuilding after damage. It can also affect how the two owners deal with each other down the road.
That’s why the position shows up as a survey detail during a deal. The survey does not settle the rights. It gives the parties a clear picture of the physical setup so they can ask the right legal questions before closing.
Where Easements Fit Into the 2026 Table A Framework
Easements are a separate matter. People sometimes group party walls and easements together, but the current Table A treats them apart. A party wall is about a shared or dividing structure. An easement is about a right to use land.
Under the current standards, certain offsite appurtenant easements are handled by Item 18, not Item 10. If the concern is a right of access, a utility right, or another use interest, that’s a different request. Keep the two items straight when setting the scope. The site covers easements in more depth in other articles.
A Better Question to Ask Before Selecting This Table A Item
Before adding Item 10, get clear on which walls you care about and what you need to know about them. That framing tells the surveyor what to determine and keeps the scope tight. It also stops the job from spreading to walls that don’t matter for your deal.
Bring your property and deal goals to the conversation. If you own or are buying an attached commercial building, name the shared walls that concern you. If a lender flagged a wall on the line, say so. The surveyor can then set the scope to answer that, instead of guessing.
This keeps cost and effort in line with what you actually need. It also gives you a cleaner result, because the finding speaks to the walls that matter. And it makes the surveyor’s job clearer from the start.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Table A Item 10 determine who owns a party wall?
No. The item addresses the relationship and location of certain division or party walls with respect to adjoining properties. Ownership and other legal rights can involve matters beyond the surveyor’s determination. Those questions usually go to a lawyer.
Does every wall near a property line qualify as a party wall?
Not necessarily. A wall sitting near a boundary does not by itself make it a party wall in the legal sense. The surveyor’s work is based on the specific conditions and the scope the client requests. The label is a legal one, not just a matter of position.
Why does the client designate the walls for Item 10?
The current wording ties the determination to the walls the client designates. That keeps the scope specific instead of asking the surveyor to check every wall on the site. It also lets the client focus the work on the walls that matter for the deal. Clear designation leads to a clearer result.
Can a survey show where a party wall sits without deciding the legal rights attached to it?
Yes. A survey can report the physical relationship and location of a wall. Legal questions about ownership, agreements, maintenance duties, or other rights can call for separate legal review. The two tracks run side by side.
Is a party wall the same thing as an easement?
No. They are different ideas. A party wall concerns a wall or division between adjoining properties, while an easement concerns a right or interest in the use of land. The 2026 ALTA/NSPS standards address the two matters separately.
