Mortgage lenders generally require new homes to have a 10 year structural warranty. These warranties are essentially a 10 year insurance policy which covers the home owner against physical damage to the property caused by a defect which results from the builder failing to construct it to the required standards.

Most house builders are members of the National House-Building Council (NHBC) and offer their ‘Buildmark’ warranty. Although NHBC were the founding providers of such warranties a number of alternatives exist for self-builders who may not be employing an NHBC registered builder.

There are now providers who provide a similar warranty to that offered by NHBC including Self-Build Zone and Self-Build Insurance to name just two. Google ‘Self-Build Warranties’ for many more.
The Local Authority Building Control (LABC) service also offers a structural warranty.

Finally, there’s the ‘Architect’s Certificate’ more correctly known as the Professional Consultant’s Certificate. This option differs from the others in so far as cover is usually provided by the practitioners personal professional indemnity insurance. For further information visit the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) website.