Why Choose a Structural Warranty over a Professional Consultants Certificate?

What is a Professional Consultants Certificate?

A Professional Consultants Certificate (PCC), previously known as an Architects Certificate confirms a property has been built in accordance with drawings and instructions approved under building control, or the building contract. This would typically be signed by an architect, following a review of the plans and property in question.

It is important to note that a PCC is not an insurance policy.

How is a PCC different to a Structural Warranty?

Unlike a PCC, a Structural Warranty is an insurance policy that protects the owner of a property from any latent defects that may occur following the completion of a build.

Although the level of protection is not comparable, a PCC will typically only be valid for 6 years, whereas a structural warranty insurance policy provides cover for 10 to 12 years.

Importantly, structural warranties are accepted by all UK mortgage lenders. For comparison, a PCC does have some recognition from banks and building societies, but it is not as widely accepted or as comprehensive as the coverage under a structural warranty.

What happens if there is a defect in my property?

In the unlikely event of a structural defect; negligence must be proven against the architect who must still be trading and solvent. Furthermore, architects must continue to maintain adequate levels of Professional Indemnity insurance throughout the lifetime of the PCC (minimum of 6 years). Under a structural warranty policy, none of this is an issue as they are first-party insurance policies – provided the structural defect is covered, the policy will respond regardless of fault, Professional Indemnity or solvency.

One Guarantee Structural warranties are underwritten by UK based, AA-Rated Insurers (Standard & Poor’s), which is crucial to ensure the security of long-term insurance contracts of this nature.

If you would like to find out more about our comprehensive structural warranties, please get in touch by telephoning on 01603 218288 or emailing us.