Raising house-building standards for home buyers

Established over 60 years ago, the NHBC is the main provider of warranty, insurance, regulatory and risk management services to house builders and housing associations which includes setting standards to which most new homes are built. Their aim is to help the house-building industry construct good quality new homes that meet the reasonable expectations of home buyers.

NHBC's success is based on:

Providing home buyer protection through insurance and warranty

NHBC provides a range of warranty and insurance services suitable for most home buyers. Buildmark protects buyers of new and newly converted homes, against specified defects which result when the builder fails to comply with the NHBC Standards. Solo for self build is designed specifically for self-build projects, and Buildmark Choice provides flexible cover that meets the needs of social housing providers.

Registering house builders

Over 18,000 house builders who construct approximately 85 per cent of the new homes built each year in the UK are registered with NHBC. Builders who apply for registration are put through a technical and financial vetting system and approximately 10 per cent of applications are rejected as a result. Failure to comply with NHBC Rules or Standards leads to investigation and ultimately deletion from the Register.

Setting standards and inspecting during construction

NHBC set the construction standards for newly built homes and carry out inspections at key stages during their construction. Their technical Standards are continually reviewed and improved to reduce defects and make a positive impact on the long-term condition of the UK housing stock.