Quality warranty providers offer expertise, security, and stability for you and your stakeholders
Quality risk management surveyors look beyond the foundations, wall ties, and tolerances and take on a broader commitment to best practices on your projects.
They take into consideration site tidiness, organisation, and even the quality of communication on a site. All quality measures that a housing provider would expect to see from a quality contractor.
In addition, such warranty providers make it as simple as possible to stay on top of inspection findings and actions needed, providing updates on a plot-by-plot, site-by-site basis with the help of a digital customer portal.
Support systems like this are vital to ensure programme schedules are met, and happy residents can start their new lives in new homes.
For social housing providers, high-rise builders and their stakeholders, however, the support doesn’t end there.
Quality warranty providers are available well before the construction phase of a major development, acting as specialist advisors on the materials and techniques in a design.
As a result, developers can embrace certainty for the remainder of their project. Certainty that designs will be accepted by their warranty provider after going past the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). Delays to re-enter the BSR process can set a development back at least twelve costly weeks.
It also offers certainty in budget, delivering the confidence to start procurement in the confidence that materials and designs are secured.
Beyond the direct benefits of offering the best chance of finishing in budget and on schedule, this kind of stability is what investors and other key stakeholders are looking for in their assets.
These benefits are why it’s so important for housing associations and local authorities to seek out and appoint a reputable warranty provider.
Picking a quality provider
When you’re looking for your next warranty, run through this checklist to determine whether you’re looking at a quality provider.
- The size of the organisation. Do their inspectors and risk management surveyors have local knowledge to back-up their technical expertise? Having local or regional representation can also make them more responsive when you have needs and questions about your project.
- How long have they been trading. Structural insurance is a niche sector, making it more exposed to market volatility. A more established provider will have built relationships and processes to withstand sudden changes in the market.
- The rating of their insurer. A-rated insurers give you the greatest peace of mind. Larger providers will have a panel of insurers.
- Technical support. Beyond just an understanding of the technical issues you encounter on site, do they seek to set, and raise, wider industry standards in construction?
- What are they offering? Look for insurance policies that meet the specific needs of your developments, as well as “extras” like cover for contaminated land, debris removal, and alternative accommodation.
- At what stage they become involved in a project. Warranty providers that get involved as early as the design stage, give you a greater insight into potential risks for structural defects and building safety issues long before work starts. This lets you build with confidence and consistency.
What LABC Warranty’s customers say
"We have worked closely with LABC Warranty from the start of the project. Aligning our design with the LABC Warranty requirements to ensure compliance, but also reviewing and agreeing details as they are produced to avoid any deviations from the guidance," says Christopher Homewood, project director, Higgins Partnerships.
"The major project team led by Bethany Watson has always been very proactive, assisting us to close conditions and approachable with new issues raised on site, this has aided in a smooth process throughout the design and build stages. It has been a pleasure to work with LABC on this project to achieve a successfully completed development."
Call LABC Warranty today
LABC Warranty work in partnership with Local Authority Building Control (LABC) to provide secure and reputable structural warranties for some of the largest housing associations and contractors across England and Wales.
Learn how to bring the benefits of a quality warranty provider to your next project.
