Consumer Code for Home Builders (CCHB)

The Consumer Code for Home Builders (the Code) makes the new-build home buying process fairer and more transparent, by providing additional protection for home buyers and setting mandatory customer service requirements for builders covered by the Code.

The Code was launched in 2010 and is supported by the UK’s main home warranty bodies NHBC, Premier Guarantee, LABC Warranty and Checkmate. Overseen by a board of consumer and industry experts, the Code raises standards across the industry through compliance monitoring, training, and education, to improve the home buying experience for consumers.

VISIT : The Consumer Code for Home Builders (ext. website)

CERTIFIED

Approved Code of Practice

This is to certify that the published Consumer Code of Practice of the Consumer Code for Home Builders was officially granted APPROVED CODE status in 2018. Since then, the relevant provisions, processes and procedures have been continuously monitored and regularly audited by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) - the representative body of the UK Trading Standards profession, since 1881, and one of the primary Government-endorsed consumer protection bodies in the United Kingdom - operating on behalf of the Approved Code Scheme (see Code Audit Record, below).

Approved Code Registry :

Code Sector	New Homes and Construction Warranties
Code(s) of Practice	Code of Practice (for reservations from January 2024); Code of Practice (pre-2024)
Year of Approval	2018
Members	12,000
Last Audited	September 2023
Code Audit Record	CCHB Audit 2024 (pdf opens in new tab)

More about the Consumer Code for Home Builders (CCHB)

PLEASE NOTE : As new home builders can often change, as new developments are started or completed, CCHB Members are not listed in the Approved Code Directory. However, your home builder should inform you that they are a member of the Code. This can be independently verified by contacting the CCHB’s Secretariat (secretariat@consumercode.co.uk), if you have any concerns

The CCHB Code of Practice

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Buying a new home is one of the most significant and complex investments you are likely to make in your lifetime, so it’s important to understand the process, as well as the support and protection available to you.

The Consumer Code for Home Builders (the Code) applies to approximately 10,000 home builders covered by the UK’s main home warranty bodies. The Code sets requirements governing how consumers should be supported from the point of reservation until two years after legal completion.

The Consumer Code for Home Builders has been a CTSI Approved Code since 2018, giving extra confidence that the Code is independently audited, and its members are committed to quality customer service.

To read the CCHB Code of Practice for reservations made from 1st January 2024, click the link below. For reservations made before this date, a separate Code of Practice applies (click here).

Read the current CCHB Code of Practice (for reservations from 1st Jan 2024)

Why is a Code of Practice so essential in this Sector?

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Buying a new-build home is an exciting time, but it can also be a complex, and sometimes lengthy, process.

Homes are natural structures, made using multiple materials and are built outside, which can contribute to delays or minor defects with your new home. And while service has improved, there continue to be cases where consumers have been faced with major quality or service issues which can be distressing and time consuming to resolve.

By setting requirements for home builders to meet through a strict code of practice, buyers can expect to receive the information they need to make informed decisions, be able to inspect their property before completion and have access to clear, accessible after sales support to deal with any problems or issues that may arise. Where this doesn't happen, free, independent redress is available through the Code's Independent Dispute Resolution Scheme.

Before the Code was introduced, satisfaction with new homes was below 50%. This has improved significantly, with nearly 90% of buyers willing to recommend their builder. But there is still work to do. That’s why codes of practice, backed by an Independent Dispute Resolution Scheme and effective sanctions, are essential.

Summary of the CCHB Code of Practice

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The Consumer Code for Home Builders applies to new-build homes from the point of reservation until two years after legal completion.

It supports buyers throughout the process, including pre-purchase, sale, completion and after sales, and provides access to a free Independent Dispute Resolution Scheme should problems arise. To comply with the Code, builders must meet multiple requirements, which include providing:

Clear and truthful advertising and marketing materials
Enough pre-contract information to help them make suitably informed purchasing decisions
Home warranty and contract information, and details about timing of construction, completion and handover in plain English
An accessible after-sales service and complaints process.

The Code was updated in January 2024. For reservations made from that date, builders must also provide:

A 14-day cooling off period from date of reservation
The opportunity for a pre-completion inspection with a buyer or their professional adviser to identify and resolve snags before completion.

For full details of the Code and how it protects your purchase, visit the CCHB website or download the relevant Code Scheme from the Consumer Code Resources Hub. To read the CCHB Code of Practice for reservations made from 1st January 2024, click the link below. For reservations made before this date, a separate Code of Practice applies (click here).

Read the current CCHB Code of Practice (for reservations from 1st Jan 2024)

What types of businesses are Members of CCHB?

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The Code covers new home developers of all sizes, from those building 15,000+ homes per year to those building a single home. The scale may be different, but the importance of the purchase to the consumer doesn’t change and warrants the same level of commitment to customer service. All new-build home builders covered by NHBC, LABC Warranty, Premier Guarantee or Checkmate must comply with the Code unless they have opted to operate under a different code scheme. Not sure if the Code applies? Ask your builder or sales agent.

How are businesses vetted - before and after joining?

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Membership of the Code is linked to the supporting warranty bodies who vet builders before they provide warranty cover. This includes financial and technical quality checks which must be met. All builders covered by the Code’s supporting warranty providers must comply with a code of practice. The Consumer Code for Home Builders monitors compliance with the Code through a combination of self-assessments and independent site audits. This is embedded in the Code’s monitoring regime. Assessments and visits are followed up with clear information on any changes required to comply with the Code. Similarly, outcomes from disputes assessed by the Code’s Independent Dispute Resolution are followed up with the individual builders to support compliance and learning.

What happens if a business breaks the CCHB Code of Practice?

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If an adjudicator decides that a builder has breached one or more requirements of the Code, they will outline the remedial action a home builder must make, and may award an additional sum for inconvenience. If you accept the adjudicator’s decision, your builder is obliged to honour any award made against them under their home warranty rules of registration. Your builder must action the decision within 20 working days.

In the unlikely event your builder does not comply with the adjudicator’s decision, the home warranty body can apply sanctions. In the financial year 2023-24, just two cases had to be escalated for non-compliance. Sanctions include suspension or removal from the warranty scheme, affecting the builder’s ability to trade, although this is rarely required. Your builder remains liable for an award, even if they are removed from a home warranty body’s register.

Disputes and Complaints

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As a consumer, if you ever enter into a dispute with a business that is a member of the Consumer Code for Home Builders, the business must offer you Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). This is a simpler, cheaper and faster alternative to going to Court. And the adjudications of the independent ADR body are binding on the business (although you are still free to go to Court afterwards).

Offering customers ADR is a mandatory and non-negotiable requirement for membership of the Approved Code Scheme - ensuring that only the best, most customer-centric businesses remain in the scheme. It also acts as a powerful incentive for any member business to treat you with respect, courtesy and fairness, at all times.

CCHB's Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) :

Independent ADR Body	Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution
Website	www.cedr.com
Phone number	020 7536 6000
NOTES

Complain about a CCHB Member business

If you feel you have been mistreated by a business that is a member of the Approved Code Scheme, there are steps you can take. In the first instance, please reach out to them - explaining the nature of your complaint in clear and unambiguous language, and mentioning that you are aware of their membership of the Consumer Code for Home Builders and the Approved Code Scheme. In most cases, this approach will ensure your complaint receives proper attention - and, ideally, a resolution will be forthcoming. If you are not happy with the result, they must offer you Alternative Dispute Resolution, or you can request it.

Only if this approach fails to bear fruit should you contact CCHB, or their nominated ADR body (see their contact details, above) - who will then do their best to help you resolve your dispute with the business.

CCHB's Advice :

If your dispute relates to the build quality of your home, your first port of call should be your warranty provider who will consider whether the matter falls under your home warranty policy.

If you believe your builder has breached any Code requirements, the Consumer Code for Home Builders provides free access to an Independent Dispute Resolution Scheme (IDRS). This provides home buyers with a fast, low cost and fully independent route for redress should something go wrong with your purchase.

Disputes can be escalated to the IDRS from 56 calendar days after a complaint is first raised with a home builder and no later than 12 months after the home builder’s final response. The independent adjudication process is provided by a nationally accredited organisation, the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR).

More information about the IDRS and how complaints are handled can be found on the Consumer Code website. You can also contact the Code’s enquiry team for more information about the Code requirements and how to raise a dispute: Telephone: 0345 608 9797. Email: enquiries@consumercode.co.uk

Complain about the Consumer Code for Home Builders

If you, or a business you represent, is unhappy with the service provided by the Consumer Code for Home Builders or its independent dispute resolution scheme, please raise your concerns via the Code’s secretariat.

You can also contact the CTSI Approved Codes Scheme for support: ccab@tsi.org.uk

CCHB Contact Details:

Email: secretariat@consumercode.co.uk

Address: The Consumer Code for Home Builders Limited, c/o Chartered Trading Standards Institute, 1 Sylvan Court, Sylvan Way,
Southfields Business Park, Basildon, Essex SS15 6TH.

Sanctions are carried out by our supporting warranty providers. Businesses unhappy with those sanctions can raise this directly with their warranty provider.

Organisation Information

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Code Sponsor Name	Consumer Code for Home Builders
Website	www.consumercode.co.uk
Contact Number	0345 608 9797
Email or Online Form	Online Contact Form (opens in new tab)
Contact Address	The Consumer Code for Home Builders Limited c/o Chartered Trading Standards Institute, 1 Sylvan Court, Sylvan Way, Southfields Business Park, Basildon, Essex SS15 6TH

Corporate Details (from Companies House) :

Registered Name	CONSUMER CODE FOR HOME BUILDERS LIMITED
Company Reg. No.	07081414
Established	2009
Reg. Address	Westgate House, Royland Road, Loughborough, Leicestershire, England, LE11 2EH

Return to the Approved Code Directory

PLEASE NOTE : We recently changed the consumer-facing name of the scheme from the Consumer Codes Approval Scheme (CCAS) to the Approved Code Scheme. However, some of our publicity and contractual materials (produced before June 2024) may still include references to the original name. Until we have adapted everything, both names remain valid - and we apologise for any confusion.