Structural warranty for a completed building
The homes are finished, no warranty was ever put in place, and now someone needs one. Some specialist providers will consider cover after completion, based on a survey and good records of how the building went up.
- Instant response
- An honest answer, early
- UK FCA Regulated Broker
- 10 and 12 year cover
- Part built and finished projects
Finished without a warranty
How completed buildings end up with no cover
It tends to happen on smaller schemes - a pair of houses, a handful of flats, a single home built to sell. The project was run well, building control signed it off, and a structural warranty simply never came up until the first buyer's lender asked for one.
Other times the developer relied on an architect's certificate, or built the homes to let and later decided to sell or refinance. Whatever the route, the building is now complete and a provider is being asked to stand behind a structure it never saw.
Late cover on a finished building is tougher to arrange than a warranty registered before the start, and it is not always on offer. Sometimes, though, it can be done - and the right evidence makes all the difference.
What providers look at
What a provider needs to consider a finished building
Each case is judged on its own. As a rule, the stronger the records, the more providers will look at it and the better the terms are likely to be.
How it was built
Drawings and specifications for the building as built, structural calculations, the ground investigation and details of the contractor and key trades.
Who checked it
Building control inspection records and the completion certificate, plus any architect's or engineer's site reports and dated photographs from during the build.
Its condition now
A survey of the finished building by the provider's own surveyor - and sometimes opening up or an intrusive survey where something important is hidden.
What the cover does
What a warranty on a finished building will and will not do
- Protects owners and their lenders against the structural defects set out in the policy wording, for the policy period
- Gives each home its own certificate, which normally stays with the home for later owners
- Usually excludes problems already known or found at the survey - so anything found is best put right first
- Runs for a cover period set out in the quotation and policy wording - worth checking carefully on a building finished some time ago
If a sale or refinance is waiting, see cannot sell or remortgage without a warranty.
Warranty after completion - questions
Can I get a structural warranty on a house that is already built?
Sometimes. A few specialist providers will consider a completed building after a survey and a review of the build records. It is decided case by case, and it is not always available.
How long after completion can cover still be arranged?
It varies. Some providers only consider buildings finished within a limited number of years, and the older the building, the fewer options there tend to be. Tell us the completion date at the start and we will tell you where it stands.
What happens if the survey finds a defect?
Known defects are usually excluded, or have to be put right before cover is offered. The provider will say what it needs to see before it confirms terms.
How much does cover on a completed building cost?
As a rough guide, around 1.5% of the rebuild cost for a finished building (plus a modest broker fee, only charged if we arrange your cover). Survey costs, minimum premiums and the provider's view of the evidence can all move it. See retrospective warranty costs.
Finished without a warranty? Ask us
Tell us when the building was completed, how many homes there are and what records you have. We will come back with an honest view of the options.
- 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.
