Structural warranty after work has started on site
Work is under way and no warranty was registered. Retrospective cover for part-built homes is hard to place but sometimes possible with specialist providers - and the earlier they see the site, the more of the build they can inspect for themselves.
- Instant response
- An honest answer, early
- UK FCA Regulated Broker
- 10 and 12 year cover
- Part built and finished projects
Already on site
Why the earlier you ask, the better
Sometimes the warranty was simply missed. Sometimes a funder made it a condition after work had begun, or the developer assumed someone else had arranged it. However it happened, the position is the same: a provider is being asked to cover a structure it has not seen being built.
Every stage that goes in before the provider is involved is a stage it has to take on trust or check another way. A site still at foundation level is a far easier case than one where the roof is on and the walls are plastered.
If you are on site without a structural warranty, talk to us before the next stage is covered up. It is the single biggest thing you can do to keep your options open.
Seen and unseen
What is inspected from now on, and what is taken on trust
A part-built project splits in two: the work still to come, which the provider can inspect in the normal way, and the work already done, which it cannot.
Inspected from now on
Once the project is accepted and registered, the provider's surveyor usually inspects the remaining key stages as they happen. Depending on where you are up to, that can include:
- walls, frame and upper floors
- the roof structure and coverings
- the building envelope - windows, doors, render and cladding
- pre-plaster checks and a final inspection at completion
Taken on trust - or proved another way
Work that is built and covered up cannot be inspected in the usual way. The provider will want evidence it was done properly, typically for:
- foundations and the ground they sit on
- below-ground drainage
- damp proofing and the ground floor construction
- hidden parts of the walls and frame
Where the evidence is thin, the provider may ask for opening up - a trial pit beside a foundation, for example - or may limit what it will cover.
What to do now
Steps to take straight away
- Photograph anything about to be hidden - foundations, drainage, wall ties, insulation, lintels - with the date and plot clear
- Gather building control inspection records (building standards records in Scotland) and the approved drawings
- Ask your architect or engineer for any site visit reports and the structural calculations
- Find the ground investigation report, if there was one
- Send us your programme, so the provider's surveyor can see the next stages before they are covered
The full list of what providers ask for is on our evidence and surveys page.
Warranty after starting on site - questions
Is it too late to get a warranty once building has started?
Not necessarily. Some specialist providers consider projects part way through the build. The later the stage, the more evidence they want and the fewer providers will look at it, so it is worth asking as early as you can.
Does a warranty arranged after starting cost more?
Usually, yes. As a rough guide the total is around 1.25% of the rebuild cost for a build already under way, compared with around 1% when cover is registered before the start (plus a modest broker fee, only charged if we arrange your cover). The provider sets the final price after reviewing the project. See retrospective warranty costs.
Should I stop work while the warranty is arranged?
Talk to us before you cover anything else up. You may not need to stop altogether, but letting the provider's surveyor see the next stage - or keeping clear, dated photographs of it - can make a real difference to whether the project is accepted.
Will each home still get its own certificate?
Yes, where the project is accepted. Each home or unit is registered and receives its own certificate once the provider is satisfied with it at completion.
Already on site? Tell us where you are up to
Tell us what stage the build has reached and what records you have. We will say whether providers are likely to consider it and what they will need to see.
- Takes under a minute
- Instant reply by email with your reference
- We call you, usually the same working day, with an honest view of what is possible
- Part built and completed sites across 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.
