What an IBG actually is
Property Care Association (PCA) members can offer insurance-backed guarantees on top of their own written guarantee (source: property-care.org). It's worth asking for specifically rather than assuming a "guaranteed" quote already includes one.
Why it matters
If the contractor who did the work later ceases trading, an IBG honours the terms of the original written guarantee anyway, as defined in the policy document (source: property-care.org). A guarantee alone, from a firm that has since closed, generally can't be enforced against anyone.
What it does not tell you
The Property Care Association doesn't publish one fixed guarantee length that applies to every job; the duration is set out in your own paperwork. Check the specific number of years on your guarantee document, rather than assuming a standard figure.
Before you pay, ask for this in writing
Confirm whether an IBG is included or available as an option, who underwrites it (QANW is the scheme the PCA references), and how long the guarantee itself runs. Keep the paperwork somewhere you can find it: it's the document a future buyer or their lender may want to see.
Send an enquiry
Questions people ask
Is an insurance-backed guarantee the same as the contractor's own guarantee?
No. The contractor's own written guarantee is only as reliable as that contractor remaining in business. An IBG is a separate insurance policy that steps in if the contractor has since closed.
Does every PCA member automatically include an IBG?
No. It's an optional add-on, not automatic. Ask the contractor directly whether the quote includes one or whether it costs extra, and get the answer in writing.
How long does a timber treatment guarantee usually last?
There is no single published figure that applies to every guarantee; it is set out in your own paperwork. Check the specific term on the document you are given, and keep it, since it matters if you sell the property later.
Sourced from the Property Care Association: property repair guarantees. See our data sources and updates page.
Editor, VettedHome
Adam leads VettedHome's editorial coverage of UK home services. He is the founder and managing director of Muswell Rose, the commercial strategy and modern systems business behind a portfolio of UK information sites, and he researches and writes the plain-English guides that help homeowners choose between installers and trades, drawing on the standards set by the relevant bodies for each job, such as Gas Safe Register, NICEIC, MCS, TrustMark and the Property Care Association. He is clear about what to check before any work starts.
Last updated: