NHBC claim on leaky garage roof - impacts on house sale

LeakyGarageRoof

Hi all. 

We are the first owners on our new build, having moved in June ‘21. Unfortunately our garage roof have a leak, from where is joins the external house wall. 

I have settled a claim with the NHBC who have paid out £2.5k to get stepped cavity installed to address the leak. They paid out based on a virtual assessment from pictures I sent sent them, and they haven’t been able to find anyone to perform the works (hence the settlement payout). 

However, I’ve had a couple of roofers round, and none have said it required cavity stepping installing - it’s a much smaller and easier job to fix. So I would like some advice on whether I need to complete the work as per the NHBC settlement and schedule of works, or whether I take the roofers advice and get it sorted via a different solution (and significantly cheaper!)? I’m not trying to dodge paying the money, but it’s being deemed as unnecessary. 

When we come to sell in the future, will I be expected to show the works the NHBC paid out for were completed at per their schedule of works, or just prove the issue has been resolved?

Thanks all. 

eddddy

LeakyGarageRoof said:

However, I’ve had a couple of roofers round, and none have said it required cavity stepping installing - it’s a much smaller and easier job to fix. 

I might be tempted to get a building surveyors opinion before moving forward.

The roofers might be recommending a solution based on what they are able to do.

I suspect that retro installing stepped cavity trays is more of a builder's job than a roofer's job. So the roofers may not be recommending it, because they can't do it. 

Maybe ask a building surveyor if whatever the roofers are recommending will solve the problem just as well as stepped cavity trays.


But unfortunately, the surveyor's fee might take a few hundred pounds out of your settlement amount.