We are sorry if you have a problem with your home. Follow the steps below to see what you should do.
Our Customer Service and Claims teams are here to support you. To do this, we need to check a couple of things first; please follow the steps below to help us help you.
If you already know that your home is covered by NHBC Buildmark, please skip straight to Step 2 - below. If you’re not sure, the following information may help you decide.
If you think you have Buildmark cover but have never been provided with any documentation, please check with your builder or your conveyancer to confirm that you have Buildmark. Normally, you will have received a policy document and insurance certificate.
Buildmark usually lasts for 10 years from the date the first owner completed their purchase of the property.
It doesn't matter if you are not the first owner of the home. It's the home that's covered for 10 years. Cover is passed on to the new owner.
If you have a problem with your home, you should report it to your landlord, managing agent or housing association in the first instance.
Using the drop down menus below, please select the option that best describes your current situation for more information on how we can help. Please note, the information provided shows how Buildmark works in typical but not all circumstances. Please refer to your Buildmark policy document for full details.
After you've exchanged contracts and accepted the Buildmark offer, your Buildmark policy protects you if you lose your deposit or have to pay more to complete the build of your home because your builder becomes insolvent or commits fraud.
If you're worried about this, please contact us.
As an owner of a new home with Buildmark cover, you will have 10 years protection after legal completion. The first two years of cover is the builder warranty period, and any problems should be reported to the builder in the first instance. The eight years after this is the insurance period, during which you should contact NHBC. Please see What Does Buildmark Cover? for more information.
You must notify your builder within the 2-year period of any concerns you have with your home and ask them to rectify them.
Keep copies of any letters, emails and notes of telephone conversations you have with your builder as you may need these later if they do not rectify matters for you.
You must allow the builder a reasonable period of time, and reasonable access to your home, to resolve matters for you. Refer to your builders website for how to raise your issue with them. If you remain unsatisfied, you will need to raise a complaint to your builder through their formal complaints process.
The builder will be required to send you a final written response confirming their position and any action they intend to take.
If they confirm they will not be taking any action in their final response to your complaint, we may be able to assist in resolving your dispute with the builder under our resolution service.
If you have a problem with your home that’s covered by Buildmark and which you’ve raised in the first 2 years after the completion date (up to 3 years in the case of shared parts), your builder is responsible for putting it right within a reasonable time. This is called the builder warranty period.
If your builder is not putting things right, we offer a free resolution service to help with disputes about defects relating to the NHBC Standards.
Please contact us if you’d like our help.
(usually 2 years after the completion date) until the expiry of your policy (usually up to 10 years), under section 3 of Buildmark it protects you if there is physical damage to certain parts of the home caused by the builder’s failure to meet NHBC's Technical Requirements. You can see a summary of the cover we offer here.
If there is physical damage to your home that is covered by Buildmark, please contact us, by starting a claim enquiry, or calling our Claims team.
I've got an issue with my new home and I don’t know if it's covered by my Buildmark policy
Please read your Buildmark policy booklet and other documents to check the specific cover and any exclusions that apply to your home.
If you can't find your policy booklet, and you know your policy number, you can download a copy here. If you can’t find your documents and you don’t know your policy number, please contact us.
For an overview of Buildmark and what it covers please have a look at What does Buildmark cover?
Buildmark Choice is our policy for landlords, and covers homes occupied by rental tenants and shared owners. Buildmark Choice usually covers a home for 10 years from the completion date (occasionally it’s 12 years).
If you have problems with your home you will need to contact your landlord or managing agent. If your home is less than 2 years old your landlord or managing agent should contact the builder/contractor in the first instance. If your home is older than this your landlord should contact us.
Step 3: Aware of the minimum claim value?
We don’t apply a policy excess to Buildmark so you don’t have to pay the first part of any claim. Instead, we operate a minimum claim value (MCV) which means that if the cost of your claim exceeds the MCV we will do the work or pay the cost in full and you will not have to make any contribution. However, if the cost of your claim does not exceed the MCV we will not do any work or pay any costs. The precise MCV applicable to your home will depend on how old your policy is but for policies starting on or after 1 April 2019 the MCV is £1,750 (increasing by £50 on 1 April in each subsequent year).
Step 4: Ready to request our assistance?
If this is the first time you're making contact with us about this issue and you need to make a claim or you'd like help from our resolution service, please use the link below to get in touch.
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If you want to provide further information or need to contact us about your existing case, please click below.
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Read our guides about common issues with new homes and about making a claim.
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Check out our list of FAQs for homeowners or people looking to buy a new-build or newly-converted home.
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We are sorry if you are unhappy with the service you have received. Please see more about our complaints process and how to make a complaint.
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Industry-led schemes which gives protection and rights to the purchasers of new homes, ensuring that new home buyers are treated fairly and are fully informed about their purchase.
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