The sudden collapse of Assent Building Control, one of the UK’s largest private building control firms, has sent shockwaves through the construction sector
With thousands of projects now in limbo and warranty providers scrambling to mitigate risks, the demise of Assent highlights deep structural challenges in the post-Grenfell regulatory landscape.
What happened?
Assent Building Compliance, along with subsidiaries such as Oculus Building Consultancy Ltd and LB Building Control Ltd, ceased trading in early November 2025 after entering insolvency. The company was a major player in the Building Safety Regulator’s (BSR) Gateway approval process, overseeing compliance for high-risk residential buildings. Its collapse leaves an estimated 15,000–20,000 projects nationwide without building control oversight, creating immediate uncertainty for developers and homeowners alike.
Why did Assent fail?
Several factors contributed to Assent’s downfall:
- Financial Strain: Assent’s revenue fell sharply from £6.5m in 2022 to £2.7m in 2023, with losses exceeding £330,000. The company faced an acute cashflow crisis and admitted it could not pay staff after 31 October, despite efforts to secure rescue funding.
- Regulatory Pressures: The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced stringent compliance requirements, higher insurance premiums, and complex approval processes for high-risk buildings. These reforms, while essential for safety, significantly increased operational costs for private Approved Inspectors.
- Historic Compliance Issues: Assent previously failed to register as an approved inspector with the BSR, causing delays and damages claims from clients. This eroded confidence and compounded financial difficulties.
Industry fallout
The collapse of Assent has far-reaching implications:
- Project Disruption: Thousands of developments, including high-rise residential schemes, now lack building control oversight. Local authorities report hundreds of cancellations, and developers face delays in obtaining compliance certificates—potentially stalling completions, sales, and mortgage releases.
- Gateway 2 Backlog: The BSR’s already strained Gateway 2 approval process faces further delays. Some projects may need to restart compliance checks from scratch, adding months to timelines and increasing costs.
- Developer Uncertainty: Housebuilders reliant on Assent for regulatory sign-off must urgently find alternative Registered Building Control Approvers (RBCAs) or revert to local authority building control, which is already under pressure.
Challenges for warranty providers
Structural warranty and latent defect insurers are particularly exposed:
- Certification Gaps: Warranty providers depend on building control sign-off for technical audits. With Assent gone, certificates may be invalid or delayed, creating compliance risks and potential disputes.
- Increased Liability: Projects without proper oversight could lead to latent defect claims, forcing insurers to tighten underwriting standards or require additional inspections—adding cost and complexity for developers.
- Urgent Coordination: Warranty providers must work closely with local authorities and alternative RBCAs to maintain compliance and avoid project stoppages. Some may introduce interim inspection protocols to safeguard risk exposure.
What’s next?
The collapse of Assent underscores the fragility of private building control in a highly regulated environment. While reforms aim to improve safety and accountability, they also demand robust financial resilience and operational capacity—something smaller and mid-sized firms may struggle to achieve.
For developers and warranty providers, the priority is clear: secure alternative building control arrangements immediately and review risk management strategies. The industry must also consider whether the current model for private building control remains viable under the weight of regulatory and insurance pressures.
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