Fees and the Solo application process
Who can apply for Solo?
Solo is exclusively for those who are building homes intended for their own occupation and applications are welcomed from self-builders with any level of experience.
It is a requirement that you must own the legal title to the plot before work commences, this does not preclude any legal charge or mortgage on the land for financing purposes. If you are a builder building a home for sale you should use the standard Buildmark warranty.
The application form and fees
To apply for Solo cover, please print out the application form and return it along with the appropriate fee to our Customer Services team. Each project is costed individually and is dependent on the floor area of your project and the optional services you require. The fee scale is included on the application form.
What happens after we receive your application?
We will acknowledge receipt of your application and fee, and send the details to your local inspector. They will then contact you to arrange an appraisal meeting, to be held on site no later than 21 days from receipt of the application.
On site the inspector will discuss your project with you, answer any queries you may have and identify potential problem areas. At this meeting the inspector will explain the importance of our Stage Completion inspections and the accompanying Certificates (SCCs). At this stage, either you or NHBC can decide not to continue with the application if the scheme does not meet respective requirements, any payments will be refunded in full.
If both parties decide to proceed, we will agree a start date and send you the insurance documents with a VAT receipt. The inspector will then ask you to contact him directly to book your first and subsequent key stage inspections.
Are there any restrictions on the time taken to start and complete the building work?
Building work must be started within one year of the date we accept your application and completed within two years of the date your foundations are concreted.
