Monitored Professional Consultants Certificates, explained.

A monitored PCC is a Professional Consultants Certificate issued after a RICS Chartered Building Surveyor has inspected the build at its key construction stages, typically foundations, damp-proof course, superstructure, roof, first fix and completion. Because a professional has watched the build go up and verified it against the drawings and Building Regulations at each milestone, it's the form of PCC accepted by the widest range of mortgage lenders. It's the classic, ground-up route, and the alternative to a 10-year structural warranty such as NHBC or LABC.

On a typical new build we attend the key construction stages: foundation level (before the concrete is poured), the damp-proof course and ground floor, the superstructure once the walls or frame are up, the roof once the building is weathertight, first fix before the structure is plastered over, and a final inspection on completion. That's usually five to six visits, though it flexes with the size and type of build, a single house differs from a phased development. We agree the inspection schedule with you and your builder at the outset so visits are booked around the build programme.

Because the most important parts of a building are buried or hidden as it goes up. Once concrete is poured the foundations can't be seen; once the walls are plastered the structure behind them can't be checked. A monitored PCC is built on inspecting those elements at the moment they're visible. That's what gives a lender confidence the property was built to a satisfactory standard, and it's why a monitored PCC is accepted more widely than one issued retrospectively after the build is finished.

In almost all cases, yes. A Professional Consultants Certificate issued with stage inspections during construction is accepted by most UK mortgage lenders as an alternative to a structural warranty, under Section 6.7 of the UK Finance Lenders' Handbook. This is the key advantage of monitoring from the start: acceptance is far broader than for a retrospective PCC. We can still check your specific lender's requirements before you instruct.

Pricing is fixed and agreed up front based on the number of inspections your build needs, with no hourly billing or surprise add-ons. On developments of six or more units it's £600 per unit. Tell us the address, the type of build and roughly where it's up to, and we'll send a fixed-fee quote, usually the same working day.

Not necessarily. If the build is underway we pick it up at the stage it's reached and inspect the remaining milestones. The earlier we're appointed the better, because we can't certify a stage that's already been covered up, but plenty of builds come to us partway through. If construction is fully complete, a retrospective PCC is the route instead, and we'll tell you honestly which one fits.

Six years from completion. The certificate is signed by a RICS Chartered Building Surveyor carrying the required professional indemnity insurance, who takes professional responsibility for the statement they sign.

No, but it does a similar job for a mortgage lender. A structural warranty (NHBC, LABC, Premier Guarantee) is an insurance product that pays out for defined defects for ten years. A PCC is a professional's certificate, backed by their professional indemnity insurance, confirming the build was monitored and meets a satisfactory standard for six years. Both appear on the lender's list of acceptable cover, and a PCC is usually faster and cheaper to put in place. See our monitored vs retrospective and PCC vs warranty guides for the full comparison.