Retrospective Structural Warranty
Need a structural warranty for a completed or existing building?
We provide retrospective cover where other brokers simply can’t, at the best rates on the market.
Get access to established, trustworthy insurers and a wealth of knowledge from our specialist team.
- Cover available at any stage of the build.
- Fast turnaround times.
- 'A' rated insurers.
- Cover available for any type of build.
- Competitive pricing.
Specialist Retrospective Warranties
Structural warranties forexisting homes
Unlike traditional structural warranties, which are typically issued during the building works, a retrospective structural warranty is issued after the construction or renovation work has already taken place.
While some insurers are hesitant to offer structural warranties on completed projects, where they did not witness the work first-hand, our team’s extensive experience and strong relationships with insurer partners means we’re the perfect broker to secure your retrospective warranty.
Once your project has been completed and you contact us to broker your structural warranty, your chosen insurer partner will ask you for documentation related to the building’s construction and carry out a detailed inspection of the building.
From there, you can obtain a structural warranty that would allow you to mortgage or sell your property.
Whencan I get a structural warranty on a completed building?
Most renovation projects do not legally require a structural warranty. Whether you need one usually depends on the type of project, who is funding it and whether you plan to sell or mortgage the property on completion of the refurb project.
For example, any internal, non-structural refurbishments will not require a warranty. For larger-scale jobs like loft conversions and extensions, renovation structural warranties are recommended, but not legally mandatory. Projects like basement excavations also frequently require structural warranties, due to the increased structural risk.
Renovation warranties are most commonly required by developers and investors for major commercial refurbishments of commercial buildings, or conversions of offices into residential buildings.
Retrospective structural warranty FAQs
Do I have to prove professional negligence to make a claim on my retrospective structural warranty?
Not in most cases – if a major latent structural defect occurs and you can show that the defect meets the insurers definition of a ‘defect,’ is covered by the policy and it took place during the period of cover, your insurer will deal with the claim according to your policy terms.
How old can an existing property be for a structural warranty?
While some insurers may have different products and offerings, most structural warranties cover a total of 10 years. So, if you need to obtain one for a sale after eight years of ownership, you’ll only receive a total of two years of coverage.
Some insurers may offer short-term warranties to cover the sale period if your property or building work is nine years old – contact us to find out if this is available to you.
How are existing property warranties different from new build warranties?
Retrospective structural warranties differ from new building warranties in that there is a higher level of risk involved for the insurer, given that they did not witness construction first-hand.
For this reason, you might find there’s a higher level of documentation required in order to obtain a retrospective warranty.
What documentation do I need to get a retrospective structural warranty?
Different insurers’ requirements may vary according to their specific offering, as well as your building’s unique characteristics.
However, common documentation requirements for retrospective building warranties include:
- Planning permission certificates
- Building control approvals
- Up-to-date property inspections.
