Before contract
Verify the legal entity, insurance, professional roles, scope, exclusions, approvals route, programme basis and payment terms.
A clear distinction between verified company facts, insurance, contract terms, product warranties and aftercare. For a major renovation, those details matter more than a badge or an unsupported headline claim.
No single policy or warranty replaces a defined scope, competent design, statutory compliance and a clear contract.
Verify the legal entity, insurance, professional roles, scope, exclusions, approvals route, programme basis and payment terms.
Use progress records, inspections, payment valuations and written change control to keep responsibility visible.
Record snagging, applicable approvals and certificates, commissioning, product information and the agreed handover state.
Follow the contract's defects or aftercare route and the maintenance conditions attached to specialist or product warranties.
Hampstead Renovations Ltd holds public liability insurance with a £10 million limit through Aviva. A copy of the current certificate is available on request.
Public liability cover is important, but the headline limit is not the whole answer. A prudent client checks the insured entity, policy dates, activities, territorial limits, excesses and exclusions against the proposed work. The certificate and policy wording govern.
It does not relabel public liability as professional indemnity, employers’ liability, contract-works cover or an insurance-backed workmanship guarantee. If another cover is relevant to your project, request documentary confirmation before contract.
These documents may all appear in a renovation, but they are not interchangeable.
| Document / protection | What it normally addresses | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Construction contract | Scope, price, payments, time, changes, completion and defects obligations between the parties. | Named parties, complete contract documents, amendments, dispute route and signed schedule. |
| Contractor workmanship / defects term | The contractor's obligation to address qualifying defects under the agreed contract. | Duration, start date, notification process, exclusions and remedies—written for this project. |
| Manufacturer warranty | A product maker's terms for a specific product or component. | Registration, installer requirements, servicing, exclusions, transferability and claim process. |
| Specialist system warranty | A defined installed system such as waterproofing, glazing or specialist equipment where applicable. | Issuer, design and installation sign-off, maintenance, inspection and whether cover is assignable. |
| Insurance policy | Specified insured risks, subject to the policy wording. | Insured entity, period, limit, excess, activities, exclusions and evidence that it remains in force. |
| Statutory / compliance record | Evidence of applicable approval, inspection or certification. | Which authority or competent person issued it and whether every relevant item is complete. |
Architecture, structural engineering, surveying and construction can involve different regulated or qualified professionals. The relevant appointment should name who is doing the work, for whom, and with what responsibility.
RICS surveying support is described elsewhere on this site as being provided through Hampstead Chartered Surveyors & Building Consultancy, a separate sister company, where included. That distinction is more useful than implying every service or legal entity holds the same accreditation.
The dedicated credentials page links directly to Companies House and the business's public profiles, and states the registered office, company number, VAT number and verified public-liability fact.
Open company credentialsHampstead Renovations Ltd holds £10 million public liability insurance with Aviva. The certificate is available on request. The current certificate and policy wording—not a website summary—confirm the insured entity, dates, limits and exclusions.
No. Public liability insurance and contractual responsibility are different protections. Insurance responds only within its policy terms. The construction contract defines the scope, payment, change, completion and defects obligations between client and contractor.
The applicable workmanship or defects terms must be stated in the contract for your project. We do not rely on one generic website duration. Ask for the proposed clause, duration and any exclusions before signing.
Where products carry manufacturer warranties, the handover schedule should identify the documents to be passed to the client and any registration, servicing or maintenance conditions. A supplier warranty is not the same as a guarantee from the main contractor.
No such blanket claim is made on this page. If an insurance-backed or specialist warranty is proposed for a particular project, its provider, beneficiary, term, exclusions, cost and activation requirements should be supplied in writing before reliance is placed on it.
Use the company credentials page for the Companies House record, VAT number, office address, public profiles and the route to request the insurance certificate.
Accuracy note: company and insurance facts on this page were checked against the approved company-credentials record on . Current certificates, policy wording and signed contract terms take precedence.
Tell us the property and proposed scope. If you are considering an appointment, ask for the proposed contract route, relevant professional responsibilities and current insurance evidence alongside the quotation.