Avoid Build Warranty – Extremely Delayed and Unreliable Service
We engaged Build Warranty in 2024 when we needed an insurance document as part of a time-sensitive property sale. After researching several providers, we chose Build Warranty primarily because they promised a fast turnaround. Specifically, that documentation would be completed within two weeks. Given how critical timing was for our sale, we paid over £3,000 upfront in good faith based on this assurance.
While the surveyor was booked promptly, that’s where the efficiency ended. The two-week deadline came and went with no documentation and no clear explanation. We were repeatedly told it would only be a "couple more days," but those days turned into weeks. Promised updates and follow-up calls never came. We had to constantly chase the team, and when we did get through to the office, the reception staff were often dismissive and, frankly, rude - at times even suggesting we were wasting their time simply by asking for promised updates.
For a long time, we were given no substantive reason for the delay. Eventually, the CEO became involved and admitted the hold-up was due to a huge backlog with the third-party insurer they used. This is information that should have been shared much earlier, not weeks after missed deadlines.
Our property sale nearly collapsed on two separate occasions due to this delay. We asked to initiate a formal complaints procedure, only to be told we had to wait until the issue was resolved, something we now believe was a tactic to discourage us from lodging a complaint altogether.
In the end, we did receive the required insurance document, but it arrived nearly two months later than promised - far too late to justify the stress, poor communication, and risk we were exposed to.
If you're considering using Build Warranty, particularly when timing is critical (as is so often the case in property transactions), we strongly advise against it.
Their internal communication, customer service, and overall accountability were all severely lacking. This experience was incredibly frustrating and stressful, and we would not recommend this company to anyone.