How a new build structural warranty works
Five steps from your first enquiry to a final certificate for every new home - what we need from you, what the provider inspects and what you receive before any cover is arranged.
- Instant response
- Insurer quotes usually within one working day of your proposal
- UK FCA Regulated Broker
- No broker fee to pay
- Single plots to full estates
The process
Five steps to a new build warranty
Tell us about the site
The address, how many homes, how they are being built and when you plan to start. The short form takes a minute.
We approach providers
We match the site to providers that suit the homes, your experience and your buyers' lenders, and tell you what they need.
Your quote
A written quotation naming the provider, with the premium and fees shown separately, plus our terms of business.
Registration and inspections
Once you accept and the provider has everything it needs, the site and its plots are registered. The provider reviews the design and inspects the work at key stages.
Final certificates
As each home is finished and signed off, the provider issues its final certificate, ready for the buyer's lender and conveyancer.
What we need from you
Information providers ask for to quote
You do not need all of it for the first conversation. The more you can send, the quicker a provider can give firm terms.
- Developer and contractor names
- Site address
- Number of homes, their type and their sizes
- The total build cost - what it would cost to build the homes again
- Planning permission
- Architect's plans and elevations
- Structural calculations
- A ground investigation report
- Helpful too: building control reports if you have already started, company accounts and your track record of homes built
Inspections
What the provider inspects during the build
Once the site is registered, the provider's surveyor visits at the stages that matter most to the structure. The exact points vary by provider and by site, but they typically include:
- foundations and drainage, before they are covered
- the walls or frame, and the floors
- the roof structure and the weather envelope
- pre-plaster and final checks before completion
If the surveyor finds something that needs putting right, it is dealt with on site and signed off. The inspections are separate from building control, although the two often look at the same stages.
Certificates
Certificates for every plot
Each home is registered as a plot. While it is being built, a buyer's conveyancer will usually ask for evidence that it is registered, often an initial certificate or cover note. When the home is finished and passes final inspection, the provider issues a final certificate for that plot.
The final certificate stays with the home for the rest of the policy period. If an owner ever needs to make a claim, it goes to the provider or insurer named on the certificate.
Before cover is arranged
You receive our terms of business and a written statement of your demands and needs before any cover is bought, so you know what you are getting and from whom.
During the build
Tell us, or the provider, about any change to the design, build method, contractor or programme, so the cover stays in step with what is actually being built.
If you have already started
Cover may still be possible, with more evidence and at a higher price. For homes well under way or finished, see our sister brand Retrospective Warranties.
How it works - common questions
How long does it take to arrange a new build warranty?
We can usually tell you quickly which providers are interested once we have the basics. Firm terms follow the provider's review of the design, which is faster when your plans, structural calculations and ground investigation are ready. Allow time for this before your start date.
Do I pay anything before I accept a quote?
No. Quotations are free and there is no obligation. The premium and the provider's fees only become payable once you accept and the site is registered. There is no broker fee to pay. We are paid by commission from the warranty provider, which is included in the premium.
Who carries out the inspections?
The warranty provider appoints its own surveyors. They inspect against the provider's technical standards and are separate from building control.
Do I need to be registered with the provider as a builder?
Most providers register the developer before they register a site, looking at experience, finances and track record. We help you through that at the same time as the first site.
Start with step one
Tell us about your site in under a minute and we will take it from there.
- Takes under a minute
- Instant reply by email with your reference
- Insurer quotes usually within one working day of your completed proposal
- Sites anywhere in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Free and no obligation
Already filled in a proposal form? Email it to us or send it on WhatsApp with any drawings you have and we will take it from there.
