diff --git a/domain/data_transformation/guarded_column_classifier.py b/domain/data_transformation/guarded_column_classifier.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..20f4f3ac4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/domain/data_transformation/guarded_column_classifier.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from enum import Enum
+from typing import Callable, Optional, TypeVar
+
+from domain.data_transformation.column_classifier import ColumnClassifier
+
+E = TypeVar("E", bound=Enum)
+
+
+class GuardedColumnClassifier(ColumnClassifier[E]):
+    """A ``ColumnClassifier`` that resolves the descriptions a deterministic guard
+    is certain about, and delegates the rest to a fallback classifier.
+
+    The ``guard`` maps a raw description to a category member when it recognises it
+    deterministically (e.g. a party-ceiling roof marker — #1376), else ``None``.
+    Guard hits never reach the fallback, so an unreliable classifier (the LLM)
+    cannot override a description the guard is sure of — and the LLM is not billed
+    for it. Every description still appears in the result (guarded or fallen-back).
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        guard: Callable[[str], Optional[E]],
+        fallback: ColumnClassifier[E],
+    ) -> None:
+        self._guard = guard
+        self._fallback = fallback
+
+    def classify(self, descriptions: set[str]) -> dict[str, E]:
+        raise NotImplementedError
diff --git a/tests/domain/data_transformation/__init__.py b/tests/domain/data_transformation/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/tests/domain/data_transformation/test_guarded_column_classifier.py b/tests/domain/data_transformation/test_guarded_column_classifier.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a6ec38b3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/domain/data_transformation/test_guarded_column_classifier.py
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from enum import Enum
+from typing import Optional
+
+from domain.data_transformation.column_classifier import ColumnClassifier
+from domain.data_transformation.guarded_column_classifier import (
+    GuardedColumnClassifier,
+)
+
+
+class _Category(Enum):
+    GUARDED = "guarded"
+    FALLBACK = "fallback"
+    UNKNOWN = "unknown"
+
+
+class _RecordingFallback(ColumnClassifier[_Category]):
+    """Stands in for the LLM: records what it was asked and maps everything it
+    sees to FALLBACK, so the test can see which descriptions reached it."""
+
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        self.asked: set[str] = set()
+
+    def classify(self, descriptions: set[str]) -> dict[str, _Category]:
+        self.asked = set(descriptions)
+        return {d: _Category.FALLBACK for d in descriptions}
+
+
+def _guard(description: str) -> Optional[_Category]:
+    return _Category.GUARDED if description == "marker" else None
+
+
+def test_guard_hits_win_and_misses_fall_through_to_the_fallback() -> None:
+    # Arrange
+    fallback = _RecordingFallback()
+    classifier = GuardedColumnClassifier(guard=_guard, fallback=fallback)
+
+    # Act
+    result = classifier.classify({"marker", "other"})
+
+    # Assert — the guarded description takes the guard's member and never reaches
+    # the fallback; the unrecognised one is resolved by the fallback.
+    assert result == {"marker": _Category.GUARDED, "other": _Category.FALLBACK}
+    assert fallback.asked == {"other"}