For sellers
Selling a house with no warranty? A retrospective PCC gets it through.
When your buyer's lender or solicitor wants evidence that a self-build, conversion or extension meets building standards, and there's no structural warranty on file, a retrospective Professional Consultants Certificate can unblock the sale, where the lender accepts one. Acceptance varies, so we check your buyer's lender first.
7 days
Inspection to certificate
3-day priority available
From £950
Fixed fee, single dwelling
No retrospective surcharge
6 years
Validity from inspection
We check your lender first
Why the sale has stalled
When a property has been newly built, converted or significantly altered within the last ten years, a buyer's mortgage lender wants reassurance that the work was done to a proper standard. Section 6.7 of the UK Finance Lenders' Handbook sets out what they'll accept, and a 10-year structural warranty is only one of the options on that list.
The problem is that a structural warranty generally can't be bought once the build is finished. So if no warranty was put in place at the time, the seller is left with a transaction that can't complete and a buyer whose lender won't budge.
A Professional Consultants Certificateis one of the alternatives that sits alongside structural warranties in the Lenders' Handbook, and crucially, unlike a warranty, it canbe issued retrospectively, based on a thorough inspection by a RICS Chartered Building Surveyor plus a review of the available paperwork. The honest caveat: a retrospective PCC is accepted by fewer lenders than one issued during the build, so we check your buyer's lender before you commit. Where it fits, it's the route most sellers in this position take.
When sellers come to us
These are the situations that most often bring a sale to a halt over a missing warranty. If yours isn't listed, ask us, we'll tell you straight whether a PCC is the right fit.
A self-build or custom home with no warranty
You built the house (or commissioned it) and never put an NHBC, LABC or Premier Guarantee warranty in place. The buyer's lender now wants evidence the build meets standards before they release funds.
A barn, office or chapel conversion
Conversions are one of the most common reasons a sale stalls, they rarely carry a structural warranty, and lenders treat a converted dwelling much like a new build for the first ten years.
A major extension or remodel
A large rear or wrap-around extension, a loft conversion or a structural remodel where the original warranty (if any) doesn't cover the new work. A PCC can be scoped to the altered element.
A warranty that lapsed or isn't accepted
The original warranty expired before sale, or was issued by a provider your buyer's lender no longer accepts. A retrospective PCC restarts a six-year, recognised clock.
From quote to certificate, while your sale is live
Four steps, built around the pace of a property transaction.
- 01
Get a fixed-fee quote
Tell us the address, what was built or converted, and roughly when it completed. We send a fixed fee, £950 for a single dwelling, the same working day.
- 02
Book the inspection
Pay the deposit and we match you with a RICS chartered building surveyor covering your area. Most inspections happen within a week, around your buyer and any tenants in situ.
- 03
Draft to your conveyancer
We send a draft certificate for review, usually within a few days of the visit. Your solicitor can see exactly what it will say before exchange.
- 04
Signed certificate released
Pay the balance and the signed PCC is emailed to you, your conveyancer and the buyer's side, ready to drop into the contract pack. Valid for six years from inspection.
What helps us move quickly
You don't need everything on this list, we work with what you have and verify the rest on site. But the more you can dig out before the inspection, the smoother and faster the certificate.
- Building Regulations completion certificate (or full plans approval + final inspection)
- Planning permission and any approved conditions
- Architect's or designer's drawings, as-built where possible
- Structural engineer's calculations
- Electrical (EIC / EICR) and gas safety certificates
- FENSA or CERTASS window installer certificates
- Any product warranties (roofing, damp-proofing, structural products)
Selling with a retrospective PCC, your questions
The questions sellers and their conveyancers ask us most. If yours isn't here, message us on WhatsApp, we reply the same working day.
My buyer's solicitor says I need a structural warranty to sell, do I?
Not necessarily a warranty. What the buyer's lender actually requires, under the UK Finance Lenders' Handbook, is evidence that a new, converted or significantly altered property has been built to a satisfactory standard, and a Professional Consultants Certificate from a qualified, insured professional is one of the accepted forms of that evidence. Unlike a structural warranty, a PCC can be issued retrospectively once the build is finished. The caveat to be aware of: not every lender accepts a retrospective PCC, so we check your buyer's lender before you book.
How quickly can you turn it around for a sale?
From booking the inspection to a signed certificate is typically seven days. We can have a draft with your conveyancer within a few days of the site visit, so the certificate can be released alongside the contract pack. If you're up against an exchange or completion deadline, tell us, we prioritise time-critical sales and a 3-day priority turnaround is available for an extra fee.
Will it actually satisfy my buyer's mortgage lender?
Some will, some won't, and we'll be straight with you about it. A PCC issued during construction is accepted by most lenders, but a retrospective PCC is accepted by fewer, and it varies from lender to lender. So before you book we check your buyer's specific lender. If a retrospective PCC will satisfy them, great; if it won't, we tell you up front and discuss the alternatives rather than take the instruction regardless.
Does the property need to be empty for the inspection?
No. We work around occupants, whether that's you, tenants or a buyer in residence on a delayed completion. Where access to a loft, basement or plant room is restricted, we ask in advance so the visit is productive.
What if the surveyor finds something on inspection?
We send a draft certificate with any findings before anything is finalised. You then choose to fix the items and have us re-inspect, accept the certificate with the items noted (some lenders accept this with a retention), or withdraw and pay only for the inspection time. We never sign a certificate for a property we aren't satisfied about.
How much does it cost when I'm selling?
Pricing is fixed: £950 for a single dwelling, £600 per unit on developments of six or more. There's no surcharge for issuing the certificate retrospectively. Set against a stalled sale or a buyer walking away, it's usually the cheapest way to keep the transaction moving.
Can you certify just the extension rather than the whole house?
Yes. Where only a specific element has been built or significantly altered, an extension, loft conversion or basement, we scope the certificate to that element and set out the scope clearly so the lender has no ambiguity.
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.
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 structural warranty
Cost, cover, validity and lender acceptance compared side by side.
PCC vs indemnity insurance
What each one actually covers, and why they're not interchangeable.
Keep your sale moving
Tell us the address and what was built or converted. We'll send a fixed-fee quote the same working day and can prioritise a time-critical exchange.
Not sure a PCC is what your buyer's lender needs? Check lender acceptance or read the full retrospective PCC guide.