Structural warranties for conversions and change of use
Latent defects insurance for offices, barns, churches, pubs, mills, warehouses and period buildings turned into homes - arranged by brokers who know how warranty providers look at a building that already has a history.
- Instant response
- Insurer quotes usually within one working day of your proposal
- UK FCA Regulated Broker
- Change of use specialists
- A certificate for each home
Fast answers
No more waiting weeks for a warranty quote
A slow broker holds up your site, your sales and your funding. We work to clear timescales.
1
Instant response
Send us your details and you get an instant reply by email with your reference and what we need next.
2
A call the same working day
We usually contact you the same working day to talk through your project and the providers likely to cover it.
3
Insurer quotes usually within one working day
Once we have your completed proposal and drawings, insurer quotes usually come back within one working day. Retrospective cover and unusual sites can take longer.
What are you converting?
Conversion warranty cover for a wide range of buildings
Each type of conversion brings its own questions about the existing structure. Pick yours to see what providers look for and how we arrange a structural warranty for it.
Office to residential
Office blocks and business premises turned into flats, including permitted development schemes.
Office conversion warranty
Barn conversions
Stone, brick and timber barns and farm buildings converted into homes, one at a time or as a group.
Barn conversion warranty
HMOs and flat conversions
Houses split into flats, flats remodelled and homes converted into houses in multiple occupation.
Flat conversion warranty
Listed buildings and churches
Churches, chapels, schools and listed period buildings, where historic fabric has to be handled with care.
Listed building warranty
Commercial to residential
Pubs, shops, warehouses and mills given a new life as homes, often with commercial space kept below.
Change of use warranty
Covering the existing structure
How the old walls, frame, floors and roof are assessed, and what that means for your cover.
Existing structure coverWhy a specialist
A conversion is not a new build - and the warranty has to reflect that
When you convert a building you inherit its structure, and that structure has a past. It may be decades or centuries old, altered many times and built to standards nobody uses any more. A structural warranty for a conversion has to account for the old fabric as well as the new work you put into it.
Conversions are a big part of the warranty market, but not every provider is comfortable with every kind of building. We place cover with specialist underwriters who are.
- The existing building is assessed. Most providers want a structural condition survey, and we can usually tell you early whether one will be needed.
- Old and new are treated differently. How far the existing structure is covered depends on the provider and on what the survey finds.
- Lenders expect it. Most mortgage lenders treat a newly converted home much like a new build and want a warranty from a provider they accept - some accept a professional consultant's certificate instead.
- Register before you start. A warranty is simplest to arrange when the scheme is registered before work begins, and each home or unit is then normally certificated individually.
Conversion warranty cover at a glance
How it works
From condition survey to final certificate
Tell us about the building
What it is now, what it will become, how many units and where you are up to.
Review the existing structure
We look at the condition survey and plans and match the scheme to suitable providers.
Your quote
The provider named, with the premium and every fee shown separately.
Inspections
The provider's surveyor checks the old fabric and the new work at key stages.
Certificates issued
A final certificate for each home or unit once it is complete.
Already on site?
Started the conversion without a warranty?
It may not be too late. Some providers will still look at a conversion once work is under way, and occasionally at one that is finished, but they will want more evidence of the work already done and the price is usually higher. The sooner you ask, the more options there are.
Our sister brand Retrospective Warranties specialises in cover after work has started. Or simply tell us where you are up to and we will point you the right way.
Questions
Common questions about conversion warranties
Does a converted building need a structural warranty?
There is usually no law that says it must have one. In practice most mortgage lenders treat a newly converted home like a new build and expect a structural warranty from a provider they accept, so without one your buyers may struggle to borrow.
Is the existing structure covered as well as the new work?
Usually to some extent, but it depends on the provider and on the condition survey. Some elements of the old building may be excluded, or may need work to bring them up to standard first. See covering the existing structure.
How much does a conversion warranty cost?
As a rough guide, around 1.25% of the rebuild cost for a conversion registered before work starts (plus a modest broker fee, only charged if we arrange your cover). The provider sets the final price once it has reviewed the scheme. See conversion warranty costs.
Are you an insurer?
No. We are an insurance broker. We find and arrange cover for you, and the warranty is provided by the warranty provider or insurer named in your quotation.
WARRANTYWIZARD
Got a quick question first?
Ask our Exclusive AI Powered WARRANTYWIZARD - how structural warranties work, what lenders usually expect or what documents to get ready.
WARRANTYWIZARD is AI powered and answers straight away, day or night. Like any AI it can occasionally make mistakes, and it gives general information about structural warranties, not advice or a price - so check anything important with our team, and for a quote use the project form or call us.
Warranty with WhatsApp
Do the whole thing on WhatsApp
You can handle the whole process on WhatsApp - questions, photos and drawings, your proposal, your quotes and arranging your cover.
A person on our team replies in UK working hours. Message us any time and we will pick it up as soon as we are back.
Tell us about your conversion
Give us the basics - what the building is now and what it will become - and we will come back with the providers likely to cover it, what they will need and an idea of cost.
- Takes under a minute
- Instant reply by email with your reference
- Insurer quotes usually within one working day of your completed proposal
- Conversions anywhere in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Free and no obligation
Already filled in a proposal form? Email it to us or send it on WhatsApp with any drawings you have and we will take it from there.