What a "10–20 year insurance-backed guarantee" actually means
Plenty of trades offer long guarantees. The question your bank or building society will ask is: what happens if the company disappears?
A guarantee is only as good as the company standing behind it, which is why lenders and surveyors distinguish sharply between a company guarantee and an insurance-backed one.
Company guarantee vs insurance-backed
A standard company guarantee is a promise from the firm that did the work. If that firm closes, the promise closes with it. An insurance-backed guarantee adds an insurance policy on top: if anything should happen to the company, the guarantee is still protected and honoured.
Why it matters when you sell
Damp and timber guarantees are routinely requested during conveyancing. Our guarantees (10 to 20 years depending on the type of service) can be insurance-backed through GPI (Guarantee Protection Indemnity) and accepted by lenders across the UK, which means they satisfy a lender and transfer with the property. It is one of the quiet reasons proper remedial work adds value rather than just cost.
Every specification we issue states the guarantee that applies to the work, in writing, before you commit.
Get an honest answer from the surveyor who would do the work.