Quality Assurance Reviews and Rating Scheme

Instilling a right-first-time culture in the new homes sector

Impartial, expert review with tailored support to enhance your quality assurance and achieve a rating

Our Quality Assurance Reviews (QARs) complement our on-site Construction Quality Reviews, focusing on quality related processes, procedures, competencies and policies - offering a 360-degree view of quality across both field and back-office operations, suitable for builders (registered or not registered with NHBC), trades and manufacturers.

Unlike standard quality assurance audits, we use the NHBC new homes sector specific QA framework for a practical, tailored approach. Designed for continuous improvement, our QARs support businesses at every stage. Wherever you are on your quality assurance journey, our expert consultants are here to guide and support you.

How the rating scheme works

There are four stages to gain your first rating or to re-register under the programme.

Quality Assurance Review (QAR)

We’ll carry out an initial review of your current quality assurance processes, procedures, competencies and policies. You’ll receive a detailed RAG rated report, including observed strengths and areas for improvements with recommendations.

Support phase

This phase will vary depending on the results of your initial QAR. If you need support to improve things, we have several tools we can use to help you. If your quality assurance system is already strong then your rating may be accelerated.

Full Quality Assurance Review

When you’re ready to go for your rating, we’ll conduct another full QAR which will determine the level of rating you’ll be awarded.

Initial rating

Once you have gained NHBC Quality Assurance rating, you'll enter the maintenance phase to ensure its retention.

Find out more

How can it help you?

Demonstrate to your investors, supply chain and customers that your organisation is committed to the highest standards of quality.
Improved construction quality leads to fewer defects reducing rework costs and increased customer satisfaction.
Spot and deal with potential risks before they become serious problems, avoiding costly mistakes, workplace accidents and reputational damage.
A dedicated new homes QA framework, with reviews incorporating recommendations for improvements, will support you in proactively meeting evolving competency requirements in future legislation.

Key features of our Quality Assurance Reviews and Rating Scheme

Unlock the full benefits of your rating, earning recognition for excellence in construction quality and quality management.

Detailed review of quality-related processes, procedures, competencies and policies, scored (1-6) against 21 requirements.
Comprehensive report with strengths, weaknesses and recommendations, including individual scores, overall average score, and percentage of competent and above ratings (4-6).
Rating Scheme with an online published register.
Benchmarking against industry peers, with insights on regional and national trends.
Continuous improvement framework with long-term support for maintaining your rating.

Maintaining your rating

Leading organisations see quality as a journey, not a destination. It’s about a mindset of continuous improvement, reflecting on and, if necessary, refining your system to maintain the highest standards for your customers.

Your NHBC Quality Assurance rating works on a three year cycle with a QAR every year leading to rating renewal at the end of three years.

Our latest testimonials

Lioncourt Homes

I would definitely recommend the quality assurance review to house builders. I think the industry's done a lot of work around quality control in recent years.

LJ Construction Carpentry Contractors

As a business, we've always built our quality control processes based on industry-given metrics such as CQRS and RIs.

Not ready to commit to the full rating scheme?

Try our Individual Quality Assurance Review to get expert insights with a one-off, in-person assessment—no long-term commitment required. Perfect for a pilot before progressing to the rating scheme.

Enquire now

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Frequently asked questions

Quality Assurance Reviews (QARs) complement our on-site Construction Quality Assurance Reviews, focusing on quality-related processes, procedures, competencies and policies. Unlike standard quality assurance audits, we use the NHBC new homes sector-specific QA framework for a practical, tailored approach. Designed for continuous improvement, our Rating supports businesses at every stage.

QARs are suitable for builders, developers, trades, housing associations, build-to-rent sectors and manufacturers.

A QAR is typically one-day on-site review at your offices, where we use our framework to evaluate your existing quality assurance processes, procedures, competencies, and policies. You will need to upload supporting documentation as evidence. After the review, you will receive a RAG-rated report highlighting strengths, areas of improvement and actionable recommendations.

Our experienced consultant will thoroughly review your processes and documentation related to the framework. This will involve detailed discussions and clarifying questions to ensure a comprehensive understanding of your current practices.

Costs vary depending on the size and complexity of the organisation. Get in touch to find out more.

Compared to many other sectors, the house-building industry has a higher rate of construction-related defects. This is partly due to a traditional reliance on ‘after the event’ quality control, with limited emphasis on structured processes to drive consistent quality and efficiency. QARs aim to promote a right-first-time culture, helping businesses in the new homes sector improve repeatability and deliver better outcomes.

Once you have successfully embedded QA into your business and gained a NHBC QA rating, you enter the three-year rating cycle. This cycle includes a full face to face QAR every third year and annual virtual surveillance QARs in intervening years. The full QAR includes a comprehensive review against the 21 requirements, the intervening years includes a targeted review against known areas of improvement and spot checking. Should performance slip, the frequency of the full QAR can be reduced to keep within the rating scheme.

Key areas include the following six themes:
• Leadership and Strategy for Construction Quality
• Plan for Quality
• Design and Innovation for Quality
• Build for Quality Outcomes
• Analyse Quality Performance
• Change for Quality Improvement

Common improvement areas include incomplete documentation, inconsistent application of procedures, and gaps in staff competencies.

Effective preparation is essential for a successful review; consider these pointers:

An NHBC quality consultant will guide you through the process and help your teams get ready.
Conduct internal reviews, review documentation, and ensure your staff are well prepared.
Upload evidence to the platform in advance so the consultant can review it beforehand.

NHBC offers services to assist businesses in preparing for a QAR.

Maintain records of quality improvements, provide ongoing staff training, and actively seek and respond to customer feedback.

Regularly, and at a minimum, in conjunction with the annual QAR.

The report includes an overall rating with a clear 1-6 scoring logic across 21 key quality requirements with actionable insights highlighting strengths, areas of improvement, and practical recommendations.

The QAR uses a 1-6 scoring scale, similar to other NHBC metrics, but with a key difference: it focuses on continuous improvement. The scoring follows these levels:

1. Beginning – Initial stages with minimal processes in place.
2. Emerging – Early development with some progress.
3. Developing – Growing structure and consistency.
4. Competent – Meets standard expectations.
5. Proficient – Exceeds expectations with strong performance.
6. Exemplary – Demonstrates best practices and excellence.

No. CQRs concentrate on the build quality output, while QARs emphasise the inputs – processes, procedures, policies and competencies

NHBC quality assurance consultants conduct QARs as part of NHBC’s Construction Quality Services.