INSTALLER RESOURCES
Extensions & General Building Insurance Backed Guarantee Guides
For builders and extension specialists. What an Insurance Backed Guarantee is, how it differs from a structural warranty, and how small firms use it to win contracts.
For extensions and general building work an Insurance Backed Guarantee (IBG) is usually optional — but on high-value jobs it can be the difference between winning and losing your quote. The cover underwrites your own company written guarantee if your company ceases trading, which is one of the biggest worries a homeowner has when handing a builder a large deposit. HomePro has issued over 1.78 million Insurance Backed Guarantees, covering more than £6.7 billion of home improvements.
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EXTENSIONS & GENERAL BUILDING
All Extensions & General Building Guides
Guides for builders — Insurance Backed Guarantees vs structural warranties, Building Regulations sign-off, multi-trade cover and winning bigger contracts. New guides added regularly.
EXTENSIONS & GENERAL BUILDING
Quick answers for installers
The questions our team gets asked most often — answered clearly, without jargon. Last updated July 2026.
Do extension builders need an Insurance Backed Guarantee?
Usually it is optional. TrustMark-registered businesses must provide a minimum two-year Insurance Backed Guarantee on domestic installations, and some schemes and clients ask for cover on specific projects. For everyone else it is a choice — one that carries real weight when a homeowner is comparing quotes on a large project.
What is the difference between an Insurance Backed Guarantee and a structural warranty?
They protect different things. An Insurance Backed Guarantee underwrites your own company written guarantee — it honours valid claims if your company ceases trading during the guarantee term, subject to the terms and conditions of the policy. A structural warranty is a separate insurance policy covering structural defects in the building itself, usually over ten years, regardless of whether the builder is still trading. Many extension projects benefit from both.
Does Building Regulations sign-off replace a guarantee?
No. A completion certificate from building control (or a Competent Person Scheme) confirms the work met Building Regulations at the time it was signed off. It does not fix defects that appear later, and it offers the homeowner nothing if your company stops trading. That is what your written guarantee — and the Insurance Backed Guarantee behind it — is for.
Can one membership cover kitchens, bathrooms, electrics and an extension?
Yes. General builders rarely do just one trade, and with HomePro one membership covers the trades you work in — so a whole-house refurbishment does not need a stack of separate providers.
What happens to my customer’s guarantee if I cease trading as per the policy wordings?
The Insurance Backed Guarantee comes into effect. The homeowner claims through the policy, and valid claims your company would have met are honoured, subject to the terms and conditions of the policy. On large jobs, that reassurance is often what gets the contract signed.
How do I use an Insurance Backed Guarantee to win bigger contracts?
Put it in the quote, in plain English: “This quote comes inclusive of an Insurance Backed Guarantee from HomePro.” It tells the homeowner their guarantee does not depend on your company’s future — which matters more as the job value rises. According to our research, around six in ten homeowners who knew about the cover said it influenced who they hired.
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