Understand who is responsible at each stage
NHBC's published Buildmark description separates an initial builder-responsibility period from later insurance cover for specified damage. Its usual description is a ten-year product, with two years of builder warranty followed by eight years of insurance cover. The events covered and claim conditions are defined by the policy. [1]
LABC Warranty and Premier Guarantee also publish new-home products describing ten-year arrangements with an initial two-year defects period and later structural cover. That shared outline does not establish identical protection, excesses or exclusions. Read the proposed policy documents and schedule for the actual development. [2] [3]
Ordinary wear, maintenance and every minor imperfection should not be assumed to be covered. A warranty claim must fall within the relevant wording; the policy is different from the contractor's obligation to complete the agreed work properly. [1] [5]
Compare the documents, not just the provider name
Before selecting a product, request a written explanation of:
- the insured home, any common parts and the relevant cover dates;
- the initial defects process and who must be contacted first;
- insured risks, limits, excesses or minimum claim values, and exclusions;
- any insolvency or deposit protection included or offered separately;
- the provider's technical requirements and the evidence needed for the final certificate. [1] [2] [3]
For flats, make the common-parts position explicit. Do not assume that a certificate for one unit describes all the protection required for shared elements. [2] [6]
Check the buyer's or lender's requirements early
UK Finance explains that individual lenders set their own requirements. Obtain confirmation that the proposed warranty and provider meet the relevant lender's criteria, rather than assuming that being a recognised name guarantees acceptance for every mortgage. [4]
A Professional Consultant's Certificate is a different form of protection and is not simply a shorter structural insurance policy. Where it is proposed instead of a warranty, establish the lender's acceptance and understand the consultant's obligations separately. [7] [5]
Do not confuse warranty checks with building control
A building regulations completion process and a commercial warranty serve different purposes. Plan for both sets of required evidence. Possessing a warranty does not remove the building regulations approval requirement, and a building control certificate does not describe insurance cover for future damage. [8] [1]
Check the statutory warranty changes before committing
Section 144 of the Building Safety Act 2022 contains a framework for new-build home warranties, including provision for a minimum 15-year insurance period in implementing regulations. The statutory framework and its commencement provisions must be read separately from an insurer's product summary. [6]
Before committing to cover, check which statutory requirements are operative for the proposed transaction and obtain confirmation that the proposed documents address them. Quoting a period in the Act does not, by itself, change the cover in an individual policy schedule. [6]