NHBC Reviews 

This company only care about the developers and as a new home buyer they couldnt care less. They passed a house off that had hundreds of snags. Was incorrectly wired and had fire risks. All they care about is the developer who keeps their company running. My advice will be to seek legal advice if any issues with your new build home as the nhbc will not care. Its in their interest to sign off any house regardless of condition. Their certificate is not even worth the piece of paper its written on to cover their own backs as they are obviously taking a huge backhander from developers.

All these regulatory are big SPAM organization in UK as they by default find reasons to support the builder only and do not help. I have been told "the gap to the edge of the deck is within the acceptable limit of 100mm, and the balcony is performing as intended." Seriously, how can you have 10cm gap tolerance level for high rise building balconies? Where is safety & security? Do not buy new build as all the builders and these authorities are just there to extract money by selling high priced flats & houses!

I worked as a property inspector at Southern Housing Group for many years. We asked officials from NHBC to look at a problem with a block of flats where the balconies were leaking and letting rain water to get inside the flats. We assumed that this would be covered by the NHBC cover. They came out to meet me to do a joint inspection only to tell me that NHBC cover didn't cover flat roofs or balconies! Anyone with knowledge of buildings knows that flat roofs and balconies are the most common things that are likely to leak. The fact that neither of these defects were covered by NHBC speaks volumes...

We bought a house that was 3 years old, originally built by Strata, and noticed a leak coming through the faux chimney whenever it rained. This caused multiple damp patches in our spare room. Since we were out of warranty with Strata and it was a structural fault, we contacted NHBC for help. From start to finish, their service was excellent. Communication was good, they explained all our options, arranged the scaffolding and fixed the leak. They even redecorated the room afterwards! We couldn’t be happier with the support we received.

We purchased a property in August 2025, built in 2021. The NHBC guarantee is still current.
After two weeks in the property we returned from holiday to discover a vertical tile had fallen from the property.
Having checked our NHBC guarantee it appeared that these tiles were covered and so we started the claims process.
We were shocked when this was dismissed, as it didn't let water into the property.
We challenged this, sent photos and were then given a quotation for the cost and told it did not meet the minimum claim value.
We engaged our own roofer, who advised that there was a further broken tile and several others misaligned, which we should return to the NHBC with details.
NHBC again dismissed this and only added another £50 to the quotation, still keeping it below the minimum claim value.
We complained and asked that somebody at least come and survey the roof, particularly as another tile had since fallen.
They didn't do so and just dismissed the claim again.
Today we gave the go ahead to a private roofer to start the work, not wanting further stress with NHBC. He advised that one of the broken tiles had just been stuck on, using mastic, so was clearly broken at the build stage.
I would imagine, in the future, we will have further tiles fall and again this all adds up in the cost to ourselves.
Shocking how NHBC can just wash their hands of this.
Development Quarter Jack Park, Wimborne, Dorset.

Totally scam, making non sense answers to cover builder mistakes.

NHBC feels like a scam to trick you buy new built house. they seems won't accept any claim anyway and you are always on your own as developers / builders are their clients.

Steve, our site manager was great. Any issues we had were quickly resolved.

I've lived here 8 years. I've reported drainage issues since lockdown. They're still not resolved. David Wilson Homes tried to wash their hands of this. They're still faulty from your build. Palmed off to NHBC.

Thus I now wish to escalate to an official complaint. NHBC just keep opening new claims which command £1500 excess costs. Costs due to David Wilsons ineptitude with the build. A build I was told had "extra checks" due to being initially shared ownership. This house is an absolute shambles. I've had the pleasure of smelling raw sewage for the best part of half a decade. A house that was NEVER fit for purpose. Still isn't. I don't want to publicise this online but I am at my absolutely wits end living here. I detest this faulty, vile, poorly built house and I now must demand repair before I take it further.

The excess doesn't even remotely cover the costs to destroy my garden- a garden I had to pay out for because your builders placed bottles of urine and breeze blocks into the ground of so no grass could grow (you know this happened as neighbours reported the same and had a heart attack over). Do you want the breakdown of my mental health/worse on your hands? As someone with ADHD, this is not longer livable and I cannot cope.

Would you like to live in a house that you couldn't use your toilet? That stank of raw sewage 24/7?

NHBC confirmed that the mortar in my home did not meet their standards, but the remedial works they accepted from the builder did not appear to fully comply. When I made a Stage Three complaint, the same person who had signed off my Building Control certificate was assigned to investigate, which I felt was a conflict of interest.
I have also noticed that NHBC have since downgraded some of their own standards, and it appears they are applying their 2025 version to my complaint. My home was built before this, and I believe the 2019 Building Regulations and NHBC standards should apply instead.
NHBC provide the warranty and have also signed off the building control certificate for my home.
These inconsistencies have left me feeling that the process lacked independence and clarity, and I was told by the person investigating my complaint that I could not escalate my complaint to building control regulations authority as they only deal with houses built after 2024 and that the previous body handling complaints cease to exist.

So who handles the complaints and investigations into this?

As a homeowner who pays for this service, I am very disappointed

A dry verge unit fell from my property in only moderate winds. Official records show the maximum gust was 48 mph — well below the Met Office’s definition of a storm.

On inspecting the damaged verge unit, I found it was fixed with screws instead of nails, directly against the manufacturer’s installation instructions. The manufacturer’s guidance is clear: these units must be nailed.

NHBC Technical Standards 2022 – Chapter 7.2 (Pitched Roofs), clauses 7.2.17 and 7.2.19 state that all proprietary systems must be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. NHBC’s own website confirms that all products must be suitable for their intended purpose and installed following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Despite this, my within-two-year claim to Walker Group (Springfield) was dismissed as “storm damage” — even though the wind speed did not meet the Met Office’s threshold for a storm. NHBC then refused to uphold my complaint, ignoring the evidence of non-compliant installation.

To make matters worse, all other properties on the development (and nearby developments) have the first verge unit secured, but my home — and 15 others — have a mix of secured and unsecured units. This inconsistency is being ignored, despite the safety risk.

Both Walker Group and NHBC refuse to comment on the non-compliance or take remedial action. I can only assume that the cost of fixing 16 homes runs into tens of thousands of pounds, which may explain their unwillingness to act.

If this is how NHBC and certain builders handle clear breaches of their own standards, homeowners should be extremely cautious about relying on them for protection.

I wanted to make a claim, however I was told if I made a claim despite whether my claim was approved or I was right in making the claim, any future buyers of my property would be informed I made a claim against my warranty. This tactic is certainly off putting to people making claims and feels like a blackmail tactic.

Extremely Disappointed – NHBC Is Failing Homeowners

NHBC is a disgrace to the concept of homeowner protection. When tiles on my roof were damaged — an issue clearly covered under the supposed structural warranty — NHBC outright refused to help. They buried the claim under technicalities and exclusions, showing zero intention of standing by the homeowners they claim to protect.

This is not just my experience — after doing some research, it’s clear that NHBC routinely denies valid claims, delays responses, and hides behind vague policy language to avoid paying out. It feels like a scam masked as a warranty provider.

An independent investigation into NHBC is urgently needed. This company should be either overhauled or shut down entirely. It's outrageous that they’re allowed to continue operating while offering homeowners false peace of mind. People pay for protection and get absolutely nothing when something goes wrong.

Avoid NHBC at all costs — their warranty is worthless.

literally they have a reason for everything to not cover you.... we have 3 defaults due to building works carried out and they have found a reason each time not too pay out, honestly no point in having them

When you buy a house and there is problems. These cowboys won't take responsibility. Scum bags

10-year new build insurance, yeh right!
After our mains water pipe parted directly from the underground pipe into the house (due to a builders defect in cutting the mains pipe too short and having to install a temporary spacer connection to make up to the stop-valve), NHBC shut the claim down over the phone within a couple of minutes. I followed up with a second phone call, only to have the same result.
They were not interested in understanding what had happened, they just envisaged ‘flood’ and how this is not covered under the ‘policy’. The incident ruined the entire ground floor of our property.
After providing photographs of the incident, and of our neighbours property showing how the correct mains pipe set up should be (completely different on how ours was) the claim continued to fall on deaf ears.
The customer representatives were terrible to deal with and do not take the time to listen. I had one customer representative say over the phone to submit photos of the incident and that it will be reviewed by the technical team, only for them to follow up in an email shutting the claim down again (not what was discussed over the phone!).
Despite several back and forths, we have been provided details to contact the Financial Ombudsman Service. Let’s hope they have a better understanding on the issue than NHBC have had and can provide the assistance we require.
NHBC have been terrible to deal with - I have no faith in them being able to provide any ‘insurance’ for the remainder of our 10-year period.

It’s not really protection, it’s more house developer propaganda to make it look like they are doing more than they are.
My house had over 100 issues, at least 10 significant NHBC breaches. I contacted NHBC to show them all the issues as I thought they may want to know their inspector missed a load of items that will end up costing them money so that person/team needs training. Their response is they are not bothered and it’s the house builders problem. So I pointed out that NHBC picked up two issues on inspection and the developer signed off they were done and they were not. And again NHBC not bothered. NHBC don’t even record what they check onsite, so I do find it funny how can they award site manager and developer awards? Is it who makes the best cup of tea?
Unfortunately it’s what house building industry is allowed to get away with. There is more proper regulation if I buy a toaster from Argos and spread the payments.
NHBC are not actually helping anything, it just another rubbish biased insurance policy.
NHBC can’t be raising standards if you don’t record what you check, follow up on what you find and just say it’s up to the developer. If that’s how it works that’s fine, but change your website and advertising so it’s truthful and reflects what you actually do and how you do it.

My whole estate ME3 Nightingale rise have got issues with their doors not opening and getting stuck and residents have been complaining since 2020 but nothing has happened, the developer is useless and this sheme does not work. What is the point of your company if you do not help the residents.

Seems the stories in the other reviews are true. Would give negative stars if possible.

Went to the NHBC to assist in a resolution dispute with Taylor Wimpey. After my new home flooded with sewage approximately 2 weeks after receiving my keys. Originally I tried to handle the dispute with the builder but after they continued making false allegations of inappropriate waste disposal and forced us through our home insurance for a resolution. I turned to NHBC with the evidence me and my wife had collected. Several videos and photos have been captured and reports created by third party drainage companies of the drainage underneath the property. It was filled with construction debris. Further evidence can be found throughout our estate where the same level of care has been taken with the groundworks.

After meeting with the representative I provided this detail and advised about the issues with the drainage. Initially all seemed positive as NHBC conducted their own drainage inspection, which identified a further issue. The builder had installed the incorrect joint in the pipe work causing a build up of sewage material within the system. Based on all the evidence provided we were confident that the builder would be found at fault however we were sadly mistaken.

NHBC have ruled that they are unable to determine who is responsible. This is despite the builder providing no evidence to support their claim instead making general statements.

We feel incredibly let down by NHBC and there process and would strongly recommend anyone who is considering approaching them to manage their expectations. As with the majority of other reviews here, the NHBC are clearly and firmly in the pockets of the building companies they are meant to protect you from.

They do not review or inspect sites to ensure they are meeting standards, instead allowing builders to appoint random third parties or internally check their own builds. There by allowing them to get away with poor practice. When I pushed them on this topic and asked who is holding these business's accountable for their failings, they gave no answer stating that they had no power to compel a builder to rectify a mistake within a build, instead they rely on the builder choosing to fix the issue.