Help & Guides

Adjudication is a process by which an adjudicator, who is usually legally qualified, weighs up the documents and evidence provided by the customer and the company in order to reach a decision. The adjudicator will take into account the law relevant to the subject matter of the dispute at hand. The adjudicator’s decision is binding upon both parties* if the customer chooses to accept it. If the customer chooses not to accept the decision, it will have no binding effect on either party.

The Adjudicator’s Proposed Decision sets out what they are minded to decide before it becomes final and allows both you and the Home Builder to comment one final time. This is only however for you and the Home Builder to clarify any points which you believe the Adjudicator may have misunderstood. You will not be able to introduce any new complaints at this stage. If you require an extension on the comments, this can be requested and the adjudicator will decide whether or not to grant you an extension. Please note that any comments made by you and the Home Builder at this stage will be shared between all parties.

Build-Zone offers a range of Structural Warranty options. Generally, each warranty is effective for 10-Years from the date of completion of the home (this may be 12 years in the case of social housing or commercial warranties). Please note that general snagging issues are not covered under the warranty. Please see your policy wording for full details of your cover.

https://www.build-zone.com/structural-warranty

Deposits for off-plan purchases (new home warranty only):

If you are buying a new home off-plan which has the benefit of a new home warranty, the policy may provide cover for any lost deposits due to developer fraud or insolvency. Please check the initial certificate issued to the developer to see if this cover is included.

https://www.build-zone.com/new-home-warranty

First 2 years of the policy (new home warranty only):

If your home is covered by a new home warranty, during the first 2 years it is the developer’s responsibility to deal with any defects that arise under the terms of the warranty, and they should be contacted directly if you have any problems. Should the developer fail to deal with your problem, or become insolvent, then Build-Zone should be contacted to deal with the issue if it relates to warranty cover.

Remainder of policy period:

For the remaining period of the new home warranty (or for the full policy period for other policies), all claims should be directed to Build-Zone using the claims procedure outlined in your policy. Your claim will be processed promptly to ensure a resolution as early as possible.

Please see your certificate and policy booklet for full details of the cover provided. Please contact Build-Zone if you need copies of these documents.

The Build-Zone Code of Conduct for Home Builders has been set up to ensure that the interests of home buyers are protected before, during and after the purchase of a new home.

The code applies to all developments benefiting from a Build-Zone new home warranty and requires the home builder to:

Provide a high standard of customer service when dealing with potential purchasers.

Take account of the needs of vulnerable consumers eg vulnerable due to age, infirmity, disability, learning difficulty etc.

Advertise the new home accurately.

Ensure Health & Safety provisions are made for visits to the site by potential purchasers.

Ensure pre-contract information, reservation agreements and sale contracts are clear and accurate.

Ensure the home buyer’s deposit is protected – how this is done needs to be confirmed to the home buyer.

Deal with any complaints relating to the code for the duration of the defects insurance period.

https://www.build-zone.com/consumer-code

Please note that we can only accept applications in English and the process is conducted in English only.

The process is conducted entirely in writing and all parties to a dispute will see all the evidence submitted by the other.

Cases must be completed within 90 days of the complete case file being received, as required by UK legislation. However, the average time taken to complete the process is generally considerably quicker. The parties will be notified once the complete case file is received by the adjudicator and the ADR procedure has commenced. For complex cases, they may take slightly longer than 90 days.

You are able to withdraw your application after you have registered your case with CEDR. However, once a decision has been issued, you are only able to accept or reject the decision.

The adjudicator will produce a written decision, which will be sent to you and the company. The adjudicator’s decision will outline to both parties details of how the outcome was reached.

If you decide that you do not agree with the adjudicator’s Final Decision, you are free to reject it and pursue your claim elsewhere if you wish. In this case, the adjudicator’s decision will not be binding on the company. Please note that the adjudication may be different from an outcome determined by a court applying strict legal rules and principles.

Consumers do not have to obtain independent advice or representation to access the service.