Once known as an Architect’s Certificate, or a CML Certificate (Council of Mortgage Lenders), the current industry standard for newly built or converted properties is a UK Finance Professional Consultants Certificate (PCC). It must be administered by a professional consultant, like an architect.
If you intend to get a mortgage to help you finance the property purchase, then you’ll need to prove that the construction work adheres to acceptable building standards. Before offering you a loan, mortgage lenders will normally require proof such as a PCC or 10 Year Structural Warranty.
You’ll need a Professional Consultants Certificate if you want to re-mortgage, sell, or rent the property (with a Buy-to-Let mortgage). A PCC is valid for 6 years from the date of certification and is issued after satisfactory completion of works following a final inspection by a qualified surveyor.
As a RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) registered company, our chartered surveyors are qualified to the highest standard. This gives you the confidence that our inspection services and certificates are reliable and trustworthy. Many banks and building societies will accept our PCCs.
We prefer for clients to engage our services at the start, so that we can carry out surveys at key stages throughout construction. That said, it’s also possible to obtain a completed house warranty for an already completed property. Simply contact us to discuss your requirements and receive a quote.
In order to provide a PCC service, we will need copies of important documentation, such as planning permissions, ground condition surveys, structural and technical data, building regulation approval, and start and end dates for contracted work. Then we’ll need to visit the site and complete a report.
A Professional Consultants Certificate can only be issued by a qualified consultant, officially approved and listed in the CML Handbook (now the UK Finance Mortgage Lenders Handbook). Luckily, we are one such trusted company, able to provide standardised surveys and certificates.
Click these links to view our examples of the standard PCC format in your area: England, Wales, Northern Ireland. These certificates ensure legal liability for 6 years, backed by professional indemnity insurance. The certificate will be transferable to future owners within those 6 years.
Please remember that a PCC is not a warranty – for more comprehensive cover, consider our ABC+ Structural Warranty. We also give you the option to upgrade from a PCC to a Structural Warranty if you prefer. Click here to get your free no-obligation quote for a Professional Consultants Certificate.
Accreditation.
Our surveyors hold at least one of the following qualifications.
A PCC is basically a legal document confirming that your project has been completed satisfactorily, then reviewed and signed off by a qualified architect or surveyor. It states that the construction work conforms to all planning permissions, building regulations, and other associated contracts.
Since PCCs are often issued by architects, they are sometimes referred to as Architect’s Certificates. Before the UK Finance merger took over the Council of Mortgage Lenders, they were also called CML Certificates. However, the current appropriate name is the Professional Consultants Certificate.
It’s considered a more affordable alternative to a Structural Warranty, but it’s important to note that a PCC is not a latent defects insurance policy. A Professional Consultants Certificate provides limited legal cover for defect liabilities, but these certificates are necessary to secure mortgages.
If you need to take out a loan to fund construction of the property, then you’ll need a PCC before the lender will release the funds. This especially applies to stage payments, where the bank releases the money in instalments at key stages. Your PCC provider can supply interim certificates at each stage.
Even if you want a lump sum loan, you’ll still need legally valid proof that your purchase is covered against financial risks. The PCC ensures that the construction has been effectively monitored and properly completed, and that the consultant is liable if something goes wrong in the next 6 years.
Should you intend to sell the property on within 6 years, or rent it out with a Buy-to-Let mortgage instead of living in it yourself, you’ll still need a Professional Consultants Certificate. It offer lower costs initially, but you should upgrade to the more comprehensive Structural Warranty later on.
Our Professional Consultants Certificates are accepted by 95% of lenders in the CML/UK Finance Handbook. For more information, you can view our list of almost 100 lenders who accept our PCC, including the following major high street banks and building societies:
As you can see, the majority of mainstream mortgage lenders accept a Professional Consultants Certificate. For your own peace of mind, you should contact the lenders for direct confirmation.
