First Roofing Company Gets TrustMark Approval for Guarantee Wording

Trustmark, the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme has formally approved the wording of Langley’s Insurance-Backed Guarantee, following a six-month review by its finance committee and independent insurance experts.

Langley Waterproofing Systems has become the first roofing and waterproofing provider to achieve TrustMark-approved guarantee wording, reinforcing the independence and transparency of its Insurance-Backed Guarantee (IBG).

Langley says its IBG has always been built on a simple principle: if a company is confident enough in its work to stand behind it for up to 30 years, the money backing that promise should sit somewhere it cannot be touched.

That guarantee wording has now been formally approved by TrustMark, the UK Government Endorsed Quality Scheme. It is the first time TrustMark has approved the guarantee wording of a roofing and waterproofing provider.

TrustMark Approval

TrustMark operates under a Master Licence Agreement issued by the Department for Business and Trade. For government-funded energy efficiency and retrofit programmes, including ECO4, the Great British Insulation Scheme and the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, TrustMark approval is a condition of funding.

As part of the approval process, TrustMark’s finance committee and independent insurance experts reviewed the guarantee structure, the protections it offers, and the clarity of the document. The process took approximately six months from initial engagement to sign-off.

“The question clients should be asking is simple,” says Langley CEO Tony Silvestri. “If the company you’re working with stops trading tomorrow, what actually happens to your guarantee? Where does the money sit? Can anyone access it? TrustMark approval gives our clients independent confirmation that our IBG answers those questions properly.”

Tony Silvestri at Langley Training Academy

Crystal Clear

Before the TrustMark submission, Langley’s guarantee documentation had already achieved Crystal Mark accreditation from the Plain English Campaign, the highest standard of clarity available for written documents.

“That was a non-negotiable for us,” says Silvestri. “You can write a guarantee that covers everything, but if the person reading it can’t understand what’s included and what’s not, it’s not doing its job.”

That clarity was a significant factor in the TrustMark review. Following Langley’s approval, TrustMark adopted Crystal Mark accreditation as a mandatory requirement for guarantee documentation across its scheme.

Langley IBG

The Langley IBG ring-fences premiums outside company control through an independently governed structure. It provides long-term cover for design failure, poor workmanship and faulty materials, and remains valid even if Langley or the installing contractor were to cease trading.

The guarantee is issued directly to the building owner, is fully transferable, independently regulated, Crystal Mark accredited, and index-linked for long-term value. It is included as standard within the overall project price, with no separate insurance premium.

“We include an IBG on every project as standard,” Silvestri explains. “That’s not the norm. Most providers either don’t offer one, or offer it as an optional extra. If you’re confident in your work, back it.”

Questions to Ask

For building owners and specifiers evaluating guarantee offerings, the same questions apply regardless of provider:

• Is the guarantee protected if the supplier or installer becomes insolvent?
• Are premiums held independently, outside the company’s balance sheet?
• Does the IBG cover design, workmanship and materials, and is it transferable?
• Is it independently regulated and written in plain English?

“We’re not asking anyone to take our word for it,” says Silvestri. “Here’s the guarantee, it’s Crystal Marked so you can read it, and it’s been approved by TrustMark. Ask those same questions of anyone else. The answers will tell you everything you need to know.”

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