Compared
PCC vs structural warranty: which does your lender need?
Both satisfy a mortgage lender that a new, converted or significantly altered property meets building standards. They work very differently, and after the build is finished, only one of them is realistically available.
The short answer
A structural warranty(NHBC, LABC, Premier Guarantee and similar) is an insurance policy. It covers the cost of putting right defined structural defects for ten years, and it's arranged before or during construction so the provider can inspect as the build progresses.
A Professional Consultants Certificateis a signed certificate from a qualified construction professional (for us, a RICS Chartered Building Surveyor) confirming, after inspection, that the property has been built to a satisfactory standard. It's backed by the consultant's professional indemnity insurance and accepted as an alternative to a warranty: by most lenders when issued during the build, and by a narrower set when issued retrospectively, where acceptance varies from lender to lender.
For a lender, either is fine. The deciding factor is usually timing: a warranty has to be set up before the build; a PCC can be issued after it. If the home is finished and no warranty was put in place, a retrospective PCC is the route that actually works.
Side by side
How a Professional Consultants Certificate and a structural warranty line up on the things that matter to a lender.
General guidance. Individual lenders sometimes have specific requirements, always confirm via the UK Finance Lenders' Handbook or ask us before you commit.
PCC vs structural warranty, your questions
The questions homeowners, self-builders and brokers ask us most when weighing up the two.
Does my mortgage lender accept a PCC instead of a structural warranty?
Most accept a PCC issued during construction. Both it and a structural warranty appear on the accepted list in Section 6.7 of the UK Finance Lenders' Handbook, and the PCC route requires the certifying professional to hold specific qualifications and minimum professional indemnity insurance, which we do. The important distinction is the retrospective case: a PCC issued after completion is accepted by fewer lenders and varies between them, so we check your specific lender before you book.
If a warranty gives 10 years and a PCC gives 6, isn't the warranty better?
They're not measuring the same thing. A structural warranty is an insurance policy: its term is how long you can claim against the insurer for a defined structural defect. A PCC's six years reflects the period a consultant takes professional responsibility for the certified standard of the build, aligned with the limitation period for actions under contract. For lender purposes, both are accepted; the 'better' one is simply whichever you can actually obtain. After completion, that's the PCC.
Can I get a structural warranty retrospectively?
Very rarely, and usually at significant cost with extensive opening-up. Structural warranties are designed to be arranged before or during construction so the provider can carry out stage inspections. Once the build is finished, a retrospective Professional Consultants Certificate is almost always the practical, and far cheaper, way to give a lender the certification they want.
Which should I choose for a new development I'm starting now?
If you're at the outset and want the longest-standing, most universally accepted cover, a structural warranty arranged from day one is a strong choice. If you'd rather a fixed-fee, inspection-led certificate from a chartered surveyor, a PCC does the job for many lenders at a fraction of the cost, broadly so when issued during the build, less so retrospectively, where acceptance varies by lender. We're happy to talk it through before you decide.
Is a PCC 'second best' to a warranty?
No. The Lenders' Handbook treats them as alternatives, not as a first and second choice. A PCC is a recognised, insured professional certificate in its own right. The reason it comes up so often is simply that it can be issued after completion, when a warranty can't, so for finished homes without cover, it's the route that works.
Explore the retrospective PCC guides
Retrospective PCC, the complete guide
What a retrospective Professional Consultants Certificate is, the process, what we inspect, lender acceptance and cost.
Selling your property
The buyer's lender wants certification on a self-build, conversion or extension.
Remortgaging or releasing equity
Switching lender or releasing equity after major works with no warranty on file.
No Building Regulations certificate
Missing Building Control sign-off and it's blocking your sale or mortgage.
PCC vs indemnity insurance
What each one actually covers, and why they're not interchangeable.
Need certification after completion?
If the build is finished and there's no warranty in place, a retrospective PCC is almost certainly your route. Tell us what was built for a fixed-fee quote.
See also: PCC vs indemnity insurance.