Structural Warranty FAQs

• Deposit protection: Should the developer become insolvent during the build this protects the homeowner’s deposit.
• Defects insurance: Leading providers of structural warranties include a defects period for the first two years of cover. This provides protection against non-compliance with the warranty provider’s technical manual and may include non-structural issues.
• Structural insurance: This makes up the main part of the warranty and covers against structural issues after the defects period expires.

If you are building or converting new homes it is recommended you purchase a structural warranty prior to construction, in addition to building regulation approval.

However, if you are building a conservatory or an extension you may not need a warranty but you will need to comply with building regulations to ensure the property is structurally sound.

Speak to us today about your next project here: https://info.premierguarantee.com/request-a-call-from-your-account-manager

A structural warranty will provide protection against structural defects in either workmanship or the risk of failure with construction materials. 

Without an approved warranty in place mortgage lenders may not release funds, delaying the sale of your property.

Whilst a structural warranty is purchased by the builder before construction starts, it actually protects the homeowner from structural damage that may occur during the first ten years after it has been completed.

Each of our policies have different levels, limits and sections of cover depending on the type and size of your build as outlined below:

We offer a comprehensive range of schemes for all your warranty requirements:

• New Homes: Designed to cover homes being built or converted to sell. Accepted by all of the UK’s leading lenders to help you sell your new development more easily.
• Social Housing: 10 or 12 years’ cover on new affordable housing or shared ownership homes, protecting you and your tenants.
• Commercial: To protect owners or developers of commercial or mixed-use sites from potentially costly defects.
• High Value: As the size of development projects continue to increase, so does the requirement for higher limit structural insurance which can be difficult to obtain. Our specialist High Value Scheme offers residential, commercial and social housing cover for large single blocks and large scale developments.
• Private Rental/Build to Rent: Our Private Rental Scheme (PRS) provides the latent defect/warranty backing required by funders and institutional investors in purpose-built private rental schemes. Such investments are expected to be built to the correct standards and properly indemnified should structural defects occur.

A structural warranty is not the same as standard home insurance which is typically made up of building and contents insurance.

Buildings insurance is usually a minimum requirement of any mortgage agreement and provides cover for damage to the property including fixtures and fittings like the kitchen and bathrooms.

Contents insurance is optional but can usually be combined with your buildings insurance to provide cover for loss or damage to personal belongings such as your TV, sofas and other valuable items.

A structural warranty on the other hand will only protect you against major defects resulting in damage to the actual structure of the building not general wear and tear.

For more information please refer to the our Homeowner's Handbook.