Modern house at dusk from rear garden patio area

Professional Consultants Certificates

As a lower cost alternative to Structural Warranties, Certibuild's Professional Consultants Certificates help property developers secure finance and provide the necessary confidence to lenders that construction has been completed to the right standards.

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Professional Consultants Certificates

Previously known as an architects certificate, the PCC is a certificate issued by a construction professional to demonstrate to lenders that the building has been constructed in a suitable way. Lenders will require this (or a Structual Warranty) to provide finance either at the time of development or if the property is sold on, with the Professional Consultant Certificate providing assurance that the development has been completed to required standards. The purpose of the PCC is to confirm to the lender (or its conveyancer) that a professional consultant:

has inspected the property during phases of construction and that the development conforms with drawings approved under building regulations and the building contract
will remain liable to the first purchasers and their lender and subsequent purchasers and lenders for the period of either 6 or 10 years from the date of the certificate
has appropriate experience in the design and/or monitoring of the construction
will keep a certain level of professional indemnity insurance in force to cover their liabilities under the certificate.

Home developer contractor team reviewing house development

Stage 1: Foundations

Foundations excavated (before concrete)

What to expect

Four inspection stages

Stage 2: Damp Proof

Works completed to Damp Proof Course level

Stage 3: Watertight

Roof on and watertight

Stage 4: 'First Fix'

Internal plastering and 'first fix' joinery completed

Stage 5: Completion

All works completed

Professional Consultants Certificate vs Structural Warranty?

Level of Protection

Professional Consultant’s Certificate: Covers only defects due to negligence in design or inspection.
Structural Warranty: Provides full coverage for major structural defects over 10-12 years.

Lower cost

A Professional Consultants Certificate is typically around 40% cheaper than the cost of a Structural Warranty - though it is important to consider the cover and lender acceptance differences vs a Structural Warranty.

Mortgage lender acceptance

All lenders require appropriate assurances that development work has been completed to requires standards.

Professional Consultant’s Certificate: Some lenders do not accept it due to limited protection.
Structural Warranty: Widely accepted by mortgage lenders, improving property resale and financing options.

Frequently asked questions

Professional Consultants Certificate

Professional Snagging

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) now called UK Finance has created the PCC on behalf of the banks to formalise and standardise the certification of newly built or newly converted residential property.

The UK Finance standard PCC certificate needs to be administered and signed off by a chartered professional consultant such as a Surveyor who must be registered with the Chartered Institute of Builders (CIOB), Royal institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE) or an Architect who is registered with the Architects Registration Board (ARB) in order for it to be valid.

Professional Consultants Certificates were previously called Architects Certificates and this name is still commonly used around the UK. This certification confirms that a professional consultant has monitored the progress of the building work. During the construction period, the provider of the certificate will give you a letter confirming that they will be supervising the construction. In some cases, this letter is required by mortgage lenders.

A PCC isn’t a warranty. It doesn’t provide cover for structural defects in the property. This document only offers peace of mind to the homeowner and mortgage lender as it shows that the project was properly constructed. In the case of a structural defect, the architect may be liable. It is important to note that negligence must be proven in court for the architect to cover the cost of repairs. Note that they will only be liable if they are solvent and trading at the time. Also, the architect must maintain a sufficient level of professional indemnity insurance for the entire time that the certificate will be valid. PCCs are only issued after satisfactory completion of a building, and they are valid for 6 years from the date of completion. After these 6 years, you won’t be protected by a PCC. For a more comprehensive cover, you can consider getting a structural warranty. This cover lasts for 10 years and covers the cost of repairs or even a complete rebuild of the property. In case the building develops structural issues, you will get immediate compensation without having to prove negligence. While structural warranties have many benefits over PCCs, PCCs are a good alternative for homeowners who don’t have money to spare. You should note that both covers can be used to obtain a mortgage.

If you have a newly-built property, you can either take out a warranty or a PCC. Most people choose PCCs because they are cost-effective. You may even receive generous discounts if you have a number of properties to certify. Additionally, architects offer flexible payment options for the PCCs. While they can be great for people who wish to save money, architect’s certificates won’t be suitable for everyone. First, you should remember that PCCs aren’t insurance policies. That means they won’t automatically cover any repair costs of your home. Claims against the consultant will only be for negligence and will be covered by the architect’s professional indemnity insurance. If the architect becomes insolvent, the insurance may lapse, and this will leave you without any cover.

PCCs are most commonly issued by architects, but other consultants with the necessary qualifications can also issue the certificate. These qualifications are listed in the CML handbook here: https://lendershandbook.ukfinance.org.uk/lenders-handbook/pcc/

It is worth noting that the consultants will usually need to have been involved in the construction of the buildings. This way, they can be certain that everything was done in the right way. This is one reason why retrospective PCCs are rarely issued.

"Certibuild were always quick to respond to emails, visited the site regularly, and were most helpful guiding us through the build from start to finish”

Oliver, self-builder

Professional Consultants Certificates