New builds and warranties
The new-build plot falls towards the house and ponding sits against the dpc. What warranty claim has that note not opened?
The note has not opened any warranty claim. The survey has recorded that the new-build plot falls towards the house and that water is ponding against the damp-proof course. That is a ground-levels observation. It is not a claim form, not a notification to a warranty body, and not a decision that the builder has failed a cover. NHBC describes Buildmark as a 10-year warranty and insurance product. The survey does not open a claim under it, or under any other policy. Ponding against the course is the finding. The claim, if someone makes one, has not been started here.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Ground that falls towards a wall, with standing water at the damp-proof course, can keep the base of the wall wet. On a new plot that is often a levels point: the soil or the paving was left shaped the wrong way, so rain sits where the course should stay clear. The surveyor watched that. They did not design a new fall, dig a channel, or tell a warranty provider that a claim had been made. Recording ponding is not the same as lodging it.
Put the levels note in front of the solicitor: the plot falls towards the house and water sits against the damp-proof course. Ask which warranty is actually in force, and do not assume it is Buildmark because the house is new. Buildmark, in NHBC's description, is a 10-year warranty and insurance product, and this report has not opened a claim on it. If you notify a builder or a warranty body, that step is yours, on the policy's own terms.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Where does the plot fall towards the house, and where is the ponding?
- Is that note condition only, with no warranty claim opened?
- Was standing water seen against the damp-proof course?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the ponding as a levels note, not as an opened claim.
- Ask the solicitor which warranty policy applies to this plot.
- Notify a builder or warranty body only if you choose to, under that policy.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
If the damp-proof course is visible above the pond, has the fall been cleared?
No. Water sitting against the wall is still the note, even where the course shows above the wet line. The survey has not redesigned the fall, and it has not opened a warranty claim. A visible course does not drain the pond. NHBC's description of Buildmark remains a 10-year warranty and insurance product, not a claim this report has started.
Does ponding on the day prove the warranty must pay?
No. Ponding is what was seen. Whether a warranty pays depends on the policy, the defect it covers, and a claim someone actually makes. The survey has not opened that claim. NHBC describes Buildmark as a 10-year warranty and insurance product, and even that product is not every puddle. Read the policy you have. Do not treat the note as an acceptance of cover.