Welcome

1Welcome

Welcome to NHBC Standards 2021

This new edition will be effective for every new home registered with NHBC where foundations are begun on or after 1 January 2021.

Welcome to NHBC Standards 2021 – this new edition will apply to every new home registered with NHBC where foundations have begun on or after 1 January 2021.

This edition is being issued during an extraordinary period where we are all facing into the challenges caused by Covid-19 and seeking to mitigate the effects of economic downturn. That said, even with the further complications of the UK’s exit of the European Union and the need to make tangible progress on the environmental agenda, we should be confident about two things: the new house-building industry is adaptable and resilient; and the long-term factors affecting supply and demand point to recovery and growth in due course.

Against a background where we are all likely to have to refine our business models and to embrace new working practices, NHBC will remain firmly committed to raising house-building standards and to protecting UK homeowners by reducing construction defects. This will lead to improved homeowner satisfaction and mitigate the need for remedial work, which is in all our interests.

Our dedicated Standards team have spent the past year developing technical content and updates to form Standards 2021, working with stakeholders from across the industry.

Updates to the new version include a full review of Chapter 7.1 ‘Flat Roofs, Terraces and Balconies’, to reflect its extended scope which now includes terraces and podiums; updates to Chapter 6.1 ‘External Masonry Walls’ to reflect requirement changes; and a technical update to Chapter 10.2 ‘Drives, Paths and Landscaping’.

We are confident that these updates will enhance the existing Standards, providing additional support and guidance, and helping builders and developers to deliver the highest possible new home standards.

If you have any queries regarding the new Standards, please liaise with your usual NHBC contact.

Steve Wood
Chief Executive Officer