NHBC Reviews 494

I have been banking with NHBC for over 20 years and would recommend any other bank than these guys

Absolutely disgusted, my new build is just 6 years old and the water stoage tank has failed and the company that manufactured it have gone bump. NHBC won't help and will cost me £1000 alone for the new tank plus a days labour for a plumber. On the side of the builder yet again. NHBC are a complete waste of time if you have an issue

After buying a Persimmon home 18 months ago (first mistake) we got to point where the builder advised we seek resolution for issues through NHBC.

We had an ‘inspector’ come out to look at issues like massively out of line and out of plumb brickwork, holes in mortar, missing mortar joints, poor pointing, plus more.

Basically, despite NHBC having a set of tolerances listed in their guidelines, it appears as long as it looks okay from 10m (in the opinion of the inspector) then no work is need.

I’m not sure why NHBC publish these tolerances and rules the builder must abide by, if the inspectors can just can a subjective opinion purely based on the appearance of an issue.

In short, this is an absolutely pointless scheme. NHBC and the house builders are clearly in each others pockets and will do anything to not have to remedy poor work.

We raised a complaint with them and got robbed off basically saying if you aren’t happy take the builder to caught.

Don’t bother trying to claim for any defects, they are crooks and con artists just like the builders.

A lot of false promises after numerous emails and phone calls. Useless.

Bought a house from drew smith homes . A year later and the reported defects are not fixed . No contact and when they do try and do a repair they damage something else . Avoid Drew Smith homes

As you would expect from an insurance they are useless and don't cover anything but a falling wall probably? They are not interested in fixing anything so don't fall for this 10y warranty rubbish in new builts. It is garbage.

My husband and I moved into our home in June 2020. Shortly after moving in we noticed that the tiles were coming away from the walls in the en-suite, main bathroom and cloakroom. We contacted the NHBC immediately because the Property Developer Paramount 2012 ( Darryl Powell ) carried out substandard remedial work. In February 2022, the NHBC finally sent an inspector to access the issues. He agreed that the walls were not bonded and the tiling was not installed correctly. At the sometime, we discovered that the cloak room had not been boarded !!! Once again, I was referred back to Darryl Powell who did not agree to the NHBC report. Finally the NHBC agreed to take on the remedial work. The remedial work was completed on the 17th May 2023 nearly three years from my initial complaint. We have since been offered £400 compensation. This amount is an insult !! I have cancelled family occasions, re arranged my diary to suit. My husband has taken days off work. Constant visits from workman. My house has been in constant chaos !
Come on NHBC !!!! your guarantee is not worth the paper it is written on !!!

Absolutely useless. We had a legitimate claim backed up with evidence and they failed to acknowledge anything we said. Hand in glove with the building contractors we think. We spent hours and hours liaising with them to no avail. Emails they said they didn’t receive when we had confirmation from various staff but they refused to admit it. Even went to the Ombudsman but they backed up the NHBC. It’s all a club. Good luck to anyone who tries to claim but be prepared to waste time you’ll never get back. Can’t even reply to them when they email you.

As a small business the NHBC are now wanting to charge me in the region of £30k to retest a product that we have been supplying to housing companies for years. This could in fact put me out of business. As a small family run business i cannot afford this. They do not care and so all small business owners will not exist as only the large commercial businesses can cover the costs. Thanks for thinking out us!! I cant even find help ie grants to help me with this cost so that i can keep supplying to sites.

Given the reviews here, I was expecting to have to fight tooth and nail to get the render repaired on our house. However, everyone I have dealt with so far have been excellent. Paul Rushton investigated the claim swiftly and was clear in explaining next steps and was very helpful in general. The contractors who carried out the work were arranged quickly and carried out the work efficiently. No complaints on my end!

I have no words to describe the frustration we have with NHBC. We live in a new build - one of two identical houses constructed at the same time, both with the same, identical damp problem. The claim for our neighbours has been open 2 years and for us for 10 months (the problem was visible until later in our house).
STILL we don't have a plan or timeline and the response times are utterly appalling. I am at my wits end living in house with damp air and mould crawling up the walls.
Clearly we are not the customer (the builder is) so they are not acting in our interests but if I could give them 0 out of 5 I would. If you are a building company I encourage you to insure your new build with anyone other than NHBC if you care about the home owner's peace of mind.

We contacted NHBC over 18 months ago now
to carry out repair work to my shared drive.
The said they needed permission to gain access to the drive by all the residents even though we have other contractors coming on to the shared drive who are not asking me for permission.
Is obvious that NHBC don’t want anything to do with my claim.
I am not surprised to read the appalling reviews that NHBC have received and they clearly need investing.

Redrow and NHBC are absolutely useless.. raised a claim 18 months ago and yet one winter and copious amount of rain water later I am still mopping up water in our bedroom. Redrow promised to fix it as it was a construction issue when the house was built. But I see no end in sight as Redrow have stopped replying to emails and NHBC aren’t interested after their incorrect assessment back in April 2022…. Absolutely disgusted with their service

Still no response from NHBC…. Still no reply to my complaints email…. They new build guarantee isn’t worth the paper it’s written on based on these jokers!

As a homeowner who has recently gone through the NHBC inspection process, also known as the CML (Council of Mortgage Lenders) process, I am compelled to share my deeply frustrating experience and express my dissatisfaction with this system. In theory, the NHBC is supposed to act as an independent body to ensure that builders adhere to quality standards, providing peace of mind for homeowners. However, my encounters with the CML process have revealed a stark reality: the NHBC is a self-serving organisation, serving the interests of builders while leaving homeowners high and dry.

One of the most concerning aspects of the NHBC inspection process is its funding structure. Builders pay fees to be registered with the NHBC, creating an inherent conflict of interest. By relying on builder funding, the NHBC becomes beholden to these companies, compromising its ability to act in the best interests of homeowners. It is a system that is fundamentally flawed, prioritising the financial well-being of builders over the protection of consumers.

Furthermore, the supposed independence of the NHBC is called into question when observing their approach to inspections. Despite claims of thoroughness and stringent evaluation, the reality is far from it. During the CML process, the inspections conducted by NHBC inspectors seemed cursory at best, with little attention to detail or genuine concern for quality. They appeared more interested in ticking boxes and ensuring the project meets minimum legal requirements rather than upholding high standards.

Even when issues were identified during inspections, the NHBC's response was lackluster. Instead of holding builders accountable for shoddy workmanship or construction defects, the NHBC seemed more inclined to protect the builders' reputation, often dismissing homeowner complaints or downplaying the severity of the problems. This dismissive attitude further reinforced the perception that the NHBC is primarily interested in preserving the interests of the builders who fund them, rather than supporting the homeowners who rely on their oversight.

The lack of transparency in the NHBC inspection process is equally frustrating. Homeowners are left in the dark about the details of inspections, often receiving vague reports that fail to provide a clear understanding of the issues found. This opacity only exacerbates the feeling of powerlessness and erodes the trust that should be inherent in such a process.

In conclusion, the NHBC inspection process, known as the CML, is a disheartening exercise that falls far short of its intended purpose. With its funding structure tied to builders and a clear bias towards their interests, the NHBC fails to serve the people who put their trust in the process. The lackluster inspections, dismissive responses to homeowner concerns, and overall lack of transparency all contribute to an overwhelming sense of betrayal. If the NHBC truly seeks to rebuild its credibility, it must undergo a complete overhaul, becoming an independent, consumer-focused organisation that prioritises homeowners' interests above all else. Until then, homeowners should approach the NHBC inspection process with caution and scepticism.

Utterly useless and obstructive. They couldn't be more unhelpful. They and your builder (who funds the NHBC) are trying every delaying tactic possible to put you off, wear you down and make you give up. Quite despicable and a national scandal - it's not surprising new build homes are held in contempt even by those who build them.

We have issues with external windowsills falling back into our house, drip tray must be full as pool of water just sits there, reported within a week f moving in— TW wouldn’t do anything, went to NHBC as we don’t have a leak YET, then they won’t do a thing, him and the customer service manager found it highly amusing.
NHBC get paid by these companies, so they won’t bite the hand that feeds them….
They’re probably allocated x amount per month that they will help the home owner…
NHBC are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
Time for all to go to those to get answers as to why the NHBC warranty isn’t worth the paper it’s written on, within tolerance is not an answer!
We are still fighting with TW with more issues.

My 10 year NHBC warranty (for warranty read worthless bit of paper) is about to expire in a couple of months. In that time I have made four claims, the last just a week ago for a roof problem. Claim 1…no, not covered. Claim 2…no, not covered. Claim 3…no, not covered. Claim 4…no, not covered. It would appear the people they employ to come up with a reason why claims are not covered are called “Customer Experience Consultants”. My latest claim was rejected because the repair according to them would be less than £2234 which is a joke as I have had an estimate of just under £6000 (could be more dependent on findings) to
investigate the cause and repair the roof. This organisation is so overtly dishonest as to be laughable. It is no wonder that the letter I received today rejecting my latest claim has a sentence at the bottom “Please note that if you’re threatening or abusive to our staff, we will take appropriate action”. I wonder if they ever stop to consider why they might have that effect on people….it says it all!

Another horrible experience with NHBC.

I discovered that a mechanical ventilation unit had been installed in my property with no way to access or service it by the builder.

The NHBC technical standards make clear a mechanical ventilation unit must be installed in a way to allow access for maintenance and servicing, so the guidelines were clearly breached. NHBC do not care and closed my claim down without even so much as speaking to me.

Imagine my (non surprise because the NHBC is basically a scam) when NHBC informed me that they DO NOT cover breaches of their technical standards outside of the first two years of the policy, despite it being marketed as a 10 year buildmark policy and the technical standards being created by NHBC as a set of rules the builders should construct and install to.

Honestly, truly, please do not get suckered into buying a property covered by this organisation. It is nothing more than a marketing logo. The actual wording of their policies means barely anything is covered and relies on you finding the defect before their arbitrary 2 year time limit expires. God forbid you find a hidden, serious defect with your house after 2 years, you're basically left hung out to dry and the patronising staff take great pleasure in telling you to sod off.

Not worth the paper it’s writing on. Didn’t enter the loft until year 3 of our new build. Decided to get the loft boarded out for additional space. Upon entering with contractors and full light of the loft, noticed one of the rafters was broken. Structure to the roof not sound. NHBC refused to fix although they claim to cover warranty on roof. BS excuses, going into small print.

Headline - NHBC are improving their performance, based on Trustpilot reviews!

Over the last few years the 1 star rating has been around 98% of all postings - it is now 95% - may be they are turning a corner.

If the stories behind the complaints were not so serious it would be a laughing matter, but NHBC are adversely affecting peoples lives. So this transformation is not good enough.

When you are offering a service you need to be able to trust the work being done. How can anyone trust them if 95% think it’s worth 1star or less.