ICW

What ICW does

ICW is a Belfast-headquartered specialist in structural insurance warranties and building control services, operating as a multi-product MGA-style platform across the UK and Republic of Ireland. The company issues 10- and 12-year latent defect insurance policies covering residential, commercial, social housing, and high-value schemes (up to £50 million reinstatement value), with premiums based on build cost rather than sale price and A-rated underwriting from Accelerant. ICW also operates as a Registered Building Control Approver regulated by the Building Safety Regulator in England and Wales, providing plan checking, site inspections, and regulatory compliance services as an alternative to Local Authority Building Control. The product portfolio extends into surety bonds, insurance backed guarantees (IBGs), and the CTSI-approved ICW Consumer Code for New Homes.

The technology backbone consists of a bespoke in-house client portal providing 24/7 access to warranty documents, inspection tracking, certificate downloads, and surveyor booking, alongside internal inspection software enabling real-time project reporting. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales (Sales Director, Direct Sales Manager, Broker Team Manager, regional Account Executives), self-serve online quote applications, and strategic channel partnerships — notably with the Federation of Master Builders reaching thousands of SME builders. The company maintains offices in Belfast (HQ), London, South Shields, and regional operations across Ireland, with a national network of 60+ chartered surveyors progressing through professional charterships.

ICW's business model generates revenue through one-time warranty premiums (10-12 year contracts), professional services fees for building control, insurance premiums on IBGs and bonds, and ancillary fees from the ICW Endorsed accreditation scheme for Modern Methods of Construction partners including ZED PODS, British Offsite, and TALO. Customer segments include property developers, builders (including SMEs via FMB), housing associations, and homeowners, with warranties accepted by 97% of UK mortgage lenders by volume. The company is privately held, FCA-regulated via ES Risks Limited, and ISO 9001 certified across its building control division.

Name

ICW

Legal name

ICW Insurance Services Limited

Website

https://i-c-w.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ICW is a Belfast-headquartered provider of 10-12 year structural insurance warranties and BSR-regulated building control services for developers, builders, housing associations, and homeowners across the UK and Republic of Ireland, backed by A-rated insurers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Building Warranty Services

NAICS

Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers (52412), Direct Property and Casualty Insurance Carriers (524126), Building Inspection Services (54135)

SIC

Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331), Insurance Carriers, Nec (6399)

akta.pro primary industry

Home Warranty / Residential Service Contracts (Systems & Appliances) (FSAJALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Warranty & Service Contract / Mechanical Breakdown Insurance (FSAJAMAM), Builders Risk / Course of Construction Insurance (FSAJACAF), Homeowners Insurance (FSAJACAA)

Keywords

• Structural building warranties
• Building control services
• Latent defects insurance
• Surety bonds construction
• Insurance backed guarantees

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Structural Building Warranties: 10 or 12-year latent defects insurance policies for residential, commercial, and social housing new builds, conversions, and renovations. Premiums based on build cost, not sale price. Includes residential warranties, commercial warranties, social housing warranties, and high-value schemes (up to £50 million reinstatement value).
2. Building Control Services: Registered Building Control Approver services regulated by Building Safety Regulator in England and Wales. Covers residential, commercial, and minor domestic projects through plan checking and site inspections.
3. Surety Bonds and Guarantees: Comprehensive bond products including performance bonds, highway bonds, sewer bonds, advance payment bonds, retention bonds, development bonds, bid bonds, and contractual/infrastructure bonds. Launched in 2023 with dedicated division under Nathalie Gordon, Managing Director Bonds and Surety.
4. Insurance Backed Guarantees (IBGs): Coverage for contractor insolvency and guarantee fulfillment. Covers roofing, basements, piling, damp treatments, windows, solar panels. Underwritten by A-rated insurers for up to 10 years.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ICW underwrites and issues 10- and 12-year structural insurance warranties (latent defects cover) for new builds, conversions, renovations, and retrospective cover across residential, commercial, social housing, and high-value schemes (up to £50 million reinstatement value), with premiums based on build cost rather than sale price. Alongside warranties, ICW Building Control provides BSR-regulated Registered Building Control Approver services in England and Wales, complemented by surety bonds, insurance-backed guarantees, and the CTSI-approved ICW Consumer Code for New Homes.

Product overview

ICW is a building warranty and building control services provider operating as a single-platform, multi-product insurance and compliance company. The core offering centres on structural warranty products (Residential, Commercial, Social Housing, and High Value Schemes) underwritten by A-rated insurers, complemented by Building Control services, Surety Bonds and Insurance Backed Guarantees. The portfolio also includes the CTSI-approved ICW Consumer Code for New Homes, an online Client Portal, and ICW Endorsed Accreditation for MMC/offsite construction systems. All products are backed by a national network of chartered surveyors and supported by in-house technical teams, offering builders, developers, housing associations, and contractors an integrated compliance and risk management solution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ICW Consumer Code for New Homes: CTSI approved consumer code providing protection for homebuyers through the purchase of their new home
• High Value Scheme
• ICW Endorsed

Products and services

• Residential Warranties A 10-year latent defect insurance policy for new builds, renovations, and retrospective cover, providing structural element protection against defects. Premiums based on build cost rather than sale price. Target customers: residential developers, housebuilders, and SME builders (including via FMB Insurance channel).
• Commercial Warranties Bespoke commercial building warranty providing defect cover for commercial or mixed-use projects, with flexible policies tailored to specific development requirements. Target customers: commercial property developers and mixed-use development sponsors.
• Social Housing Warranties A 10 or 12-year latent defect insurance policy for housing associations covering new builds and conversions of social and affordable homes. Target customers: housing associations and local authorities developing social and affordable housing.
• High Value Schemes Structural warranty cover for projects with reinstatement values exceeding £25 million, offering 10 or 12-year protection for residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments with bespoke coverage and dedicated in-house RICS-regulated Chartered Surveyor support. Target customers: large-scale developers and sponsors of complex, high-value projects.
• Building Control Registered Building Control Approver services regulated by the Building Safety Regulator in England and Wales, providing residential, commercial, and minor domestic building control inspections as an alternative to Local Authority Building Control. Target customers: developers, builders, and housing associations requiring building regulation approvals.
• Bonds and Sureties Surety bond services including performance bonds, highway bonds, road bonds, section bonds, sewer bonds, advance payment bonds, retention bonds, development bonds, bid bonds, and contractual/infrastructure/commercial bonds for the housebuilding and construction industry. Target customers: contractors, developers, and construction firms requiring performance and compliance security.
• Insurance Backed Guarantees (IBGs) Insurance backed guarantees for contractors, builders, and developers covering specific work types including roofing, basements, structural waterproofing, piling, underpinning, damp treatments, timber treatments, windows, glazing, and solar panels. Underwritten by A-rated insurers with up to 10-year coverage. Target customers: contractors and installers needing to back workmanship guarantees against insolvency.
• ICW Consumer Code for New Homes A CTSI-approved consumer code providing protection for homebuyers through the purchase of new homes, offering access to independent dispute resolution through CEDR. Target customers: developers offering new homes (must register sites) and the homeowners they sell to.
• ICW Client Portal Online platform providing secure access to warranty documents, site inspection information, project management, certificate access, surveyor visit booking, and quotation retrieval for clients and brokers. Target customers: existing warranty clients and broker partners.
• ICW Endorsed Accreditation Bespoke accreditation scheme for Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) offsite systems, pre-approving systems for use with ICW structural warranties following rigorous technical assessment. Target customers: MMC/offsite construction manufacturers seeking warranty-eligibility for their building systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• Accepted by 97% of UK mortgage lenders based on volume
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and strategic.

• Air Ambulance Northern IrelandminorOthers · 1 January 2025Charitable partnership and donation to support vital helicopter emergency medical service operating 365 days a year across Northern Ireland.
• Federation of Master Builders (FMB) / FMB InsurancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2024Strategic partnership signed September 2024 offering 10-year A-rated new home warranties to FMB's thousands of SME member builders across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. FMB members gain access to ICW's bespoke residential warranties backed by industry-leading customer service. Partnership aligned with FMB's commitment to maintaining highest standards in construction industry.
• Ulster HockeyminorOthers · 1 January 2024Two-year sponsorship deal supporting Ulster Hockey's U15 Talent Development Programme covering 200+ young athletes across 5 regions including Newtownabbey, Banbridge, Coleraine, Lisburn and Belfast.
• UK FinancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICW is an Associate Member of UK Finance, actively supporting and engaging with the financial services industry. ICW complies with UK Finance New Build Warranty guidance and lender requirements.
• ZED PODSstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerICW Endorsed accreditation awarded to ZED PODS for their modular housing system following rigorous technical assessment. Partnership for sustainable modular housing projects including Fortis House social housing scheme in Kent.
• British OffsitestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerICW Endorsed accreditation for British Offsite's UNisystem advanced manufacturing system. Partnership supports adoption of modern methods of construction across UK housing sector.
• TALOstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerICW Endorsed accreditation for TALO's timber superstructure offsite manufacturing system developed in Finland. Partnership supports expansion into UK market with zero-energy housing solutions.
• Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeil Horsfall, MD of ICW Building Control, elected as Ordinary Board Member. CABE is corporate partner of ICW Building Control.
• Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICW holds Chartered Building Consultancy status from CIOB. CIOB senior leaders visited ICW headquarters. ICW joined CIOB Training Partnership scheme to support professional development.
• Foot Anstey LLPstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on MMC article exploring structural defects warranties in modular construction context. Michael Halfpenny (Head of Business Development, ICW) co-authored with Foot Anstey construction legal experts.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection and certification firm that competes in UK building control and construction compliance. A broader incumbent that overlaps with ICW Building Control but operates across many verticals beyond housing.

Direct peers

• Premier Guarantee: Major UK structural warranty provider (part of the Barrett Corp & Chambers Group) offering 10- and 12-year latent defect policies to residential and commercial developers. Closely comparable product set, distribution model, and target customer as ICW.
• LABC Warranty: Building control and warranty provider linked to Local Authority Building Control. Competes directly with ICW on residential warranties and on the registered Building Control Approver proposition in England and Wales.
• NHBC (National House-Building Council): UK's dominant provider of structural warranties and building control for new homes. Directly competes with ICW across residential warranties, building control, and consumer code offerings, and sets the lender-acceptance benchmark that ICW is measured against.
• Protek Group: UK provider of structural warranties, building control, and consultancy to housebuilders and developers. Overlaps directly with ICW's warranty and building control offerings and targets similar SME and volume-builder segments.
• BLP Insurance: UK structural warranty and building control provider offering latent defect cover and inspection services to residential and commercial developers. Comparable product mix and customer base to ICW, including high-value schemes.
• Build-Zone: UK provider of structural warranties and building control inspections for new-build and conversion projects. Direct competitor in the residential and commercial latent-defect insurance market with similar quote-based pricing.
• Checkmate (Lockton Group): Structural warranty MGA formerly operating as Checkmate and now part of Lockton. ICW's UK Sales Director Lloyd Williams previously led Checkmate's national sales team, underscoring direct overlap in product, channel, and customer segment.

Others

• Atradius: Global trade credit and surety insurer where ICW's Bonds MD Nathalie Gordon previously ran Surety. Comparable as a surety/insurance partner for ICW's newer bonds offering, though not a direct UK warranty competitor.
• Accelerant: Specialty insurance platform that provides the A-rated capacity backing ICW's structural warranties. Functionally an enabler and capacity partner rather than a competitor, but central to ICW's underwriting proposition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/icw-group-holdings-limited
• Xx.com/icw_groupltd

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ICW