New builds and warranties
The warranty booklet says Premier Guarantee. Why should you not describe it to the lender as NHBC Buildmark?
Because the booklet says Premier Guarantee, and that name is not NHBC Buildmark. Tell the lender the name on the booklet. NHBC describes Buildmark as a 10-year warranty and insurance product. This booklet is a different title, and it must not be redescribed as Buildmark to make a form easier. Do not invent what Premier Guarantee covers, excludes or lasts. Read that policy for what it says. The survey does not rename it.
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?
Warranty brands get flattened in conversation into one ten-year idea. The document in the pack is the one that counts. If the cover says Premier Guarantee, every email, mortgage form and solicitor's note should use that name until someone shows a different policy. Calling it Buildmark imports NHBC's product, which NHBC describes as its own 10-year warranty and insurance. Guessing that the two match is how the wrong provider gets written onto the wrong house.
The survey is a third thing again. It does not become Buildmark, and it does not become the booklet. It describes condition. If the roof ponds or a wall is cracked, those sentences stay in the survey whichever brand is in the drawer. Ask the solicitor to send the actual policy. Do not fill gaps with cover you have assumed. A familiar-looking booklet is not a reason to change the name printed on it.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Are you relying on any warranty brand in the condition comments?
- Which defects should be read from the survey even if a policy exists?
- Can you confirm the report does not rename the booklet?
What are the typical next steps?
- Call the policy by the name on the booklet, not Buildmark.
- Do not invent Premier Guarantee cover details for the lender.
- Keep the survey's condition notes separate from the warranty brand.
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 agent says all new homes are NHBC, should you repeat that?
No. Repeat the booklet. If it says Premier Guarantee, that is the name. Do not substitute NHBC Buildmark because the agent used a habit.
Does Buildmark's description apply once any warranty exists?
No. NHBC's description of Buildmark belongs to that product. Another named booklet is not Buildmark, and the survey does not make it so.