The Altura Guide to New-Build Snagging Surveys

Buying a new-build home is slightly unusual.

With an older house, most buyers wouldn't dream of spending several hundred thousand pounds without having somebody independently inspect it first. With a new-build, buyers are often reassured by the fact that the property is brand new, has Building Regulations approval and comes with a 10-year warranty.

It is very easy to assume that means everything has been independently checked and that anything wrong with the house will simply be fixed by the developer.

Unfortunately, it isn't quite that simple.

New homes can have defects just like older properties. Some are minor finishing issues — a scratched window, poor decoration or a door that needs adjusting. Others can relate to the actual construction of the building: insulation, ventilation, brickwork, roofs, drainage, windows, fire-stopping or the way components have been installed.

The important thing is knowing when to have the property inspected, who should inspect it, what standards they should use and what your rights are if something is wrong. That is what this guide is intended to explain.

First things first: don't wait until you've moved in

One of the biggest misconceptions we come across is that a snagging survey has to be carried out after completion. That isn't necessarily the case.

If your developer is registered under the New Homes Quality Code, you can request an independent Pre-Completion Inspection before you complete your purchase. There are rules around how that inspection is undertaken, which we'll come to shortly, but the important point is this:

Ask about your inspection rights before you exchange contracts — not the week before you are due to move in.

Government home-buying guidance also recommends considering agreeing at exchange that a snagging survey will take place once the property has been built but before completion.

If you're buying off-plan, we'd suggest asking the sales adviser a very simple question: "Which consumer code applies to this development, and can my own independent surveyor inspect the property before completion?" Get the answer in writing.

Not all new homes have the same protection

This is where the terminology becomes confusing. You may hear the sales team talking about NHBC, a 10-year warranty, the New Homes Quality Code, the Consumer Code, Building Regulations and the New Homes Ombudsman. These aren't different names for the same thing.

The New Homes Quality Code

The New Homes Quality Code (NHQC) is a consumer code administered by the New Homes Quality Board. Among other things, it sets requirements covering the sales process, completion, snagging, after-sales service and complaints. Importantly, it also provides qualifying buyers with access to the New Homes Ombudsman Service.

However, don't assume that every new home automatically falls under the Code. Ask the developer which consumer code applies to your particular purchase. If they tell you it is the New Homes Quality Code, you can check whether the developer is registered and whether your reservation falls within the applicable registration period.

The Consumer Code for Home Builders

Some developments instead fall under the Consumer Code for Home Builders. That Code also contains consumer protections and provides buyers — or their professional advisers — with an opportunity to undertake a Pre-Completion Inspection. Again, the important thing isn't memorising the different schemes. It is simply knowing which one applies to your house before you complete.

So when should you have a snagging survey?

If I were buying a new-build myself, I would think about the inspection process in three stages.

1. Before completion

Where your consumer code permits it, this is the first opportunity. The house should be substantially complete, but you haven't yet completed the purchase. There is a significant advantage to having defects properly recorded at this stage. The house is empty, finishes can be seen clearly and there is no debate about whether damage occurred after you moved in.

If the property falls under the New Homes Quality Code, there is a formal process for this called the Pre-Completion Inspection. We'll explain the difference between that and a wider snagging inspection below.

2. Immediately after you get the keys

Regardless of whether a professional has inspected the house, take your own photographs when you move in. Lots of them. Photograph scratched glass, damaged sanitaryware, chipped worktops, marked doors, damaged flooring and other cosmetic defects straight away.

Don't assume you can wait six months because you have a 10-year warranty. Cosmetic damage is a very different issue from a latent construction defect and may need to be reported very quickly.

3. Before the two-year builder period expires

This is the inspection buyers often overlook. Some problems simply aren't apparent when the house is brand new. The building goes through seasons. It gets heated. Materials dry. Heavy rain tests roofs and drainage. Doors and windows settle. Cracking can develop.

For that reason, we think there is a strong argument for considering another inspection at around 18–21 months after completion. That leaves enough time to identify and report issues before the typical two-year builder warranty period expires. It isn't a statutory requirement. It's simply sensible risk management.

"But I've got a 10-year warranty"

This is probably the biggest misunderstanding surrounding new-build homes. A 10-year warranty does not normally mean that your builder has to come back and repair every defect you discover for the next ten years.

Take NHBC Buildmark as an example. The first two years are generally the builder warranty period. During that period, the builder is normally responsible for rectifying problems caused by failure to meet the applicable NHBC requirements. The following years are different. They form an insurance period covering specified types of defect and damage, subject to the policy wording, exclusions and claim requirements.

So: two-year builder responsibility plus later insurance protection is not the same thing as a ten-year snagging guarantee. That's why the first two years matter so much.

What should you ask before buying a new-build?

There are ten questions I'd want answered before committing to the purchase:

1. Which consumer code applies to my home?
2. Is the developer registered with the New Homes Quality Board?
3. Does that registration cover the date I reserved my property?
4. Who provides the structural warranty?
5. When does that warranty begin?
6. What is the developer responsible for during the first two years?
7. What protection applies after year two?
8. What is the developer's snagging and after-sales procedure?
9. What is their formal complaints procedure?
10. Can my own independent professional inspect the property before completion?

None of these are unreasonable questions. You're buying what is probably one of the most expensive things you will ever own.

Who can carry out the inspection?

This is something buyers should pay considerably more attention to. Search online for "snagging survey" and you'll find everything from qualified building professionals to specialist snagging companies offering extremely long checklists and promising to find hundreds of defects. A long list isn't necessarily a good survey.

The question we would ask is: who is carrying out the inspection, what are they qualified to advise you on, and what standards are they using? That distinction becomes particularly important if your property falls under the New Homes Quality Code.

For a formal NHQB Pre-Completion Inspection carried out by somebody acting on your behalf, the current requirements say the inspector must:

• belong to a recognised professional association experienced in residential surveying;
• have appropriate Professional Indemnity insurance;
• only work within their professional competence; and
• use the prescribed NHQB Pre-Completion Inspection Checklist.

The NHQB gives examples of recognised professional bodies including RICS, CIOB, CABE, ICWCI and RPSA. That requirement exists for a reason.

Finding a snag is easy. Understanding it is harder.

Anyone can see that a wall has been badly painted. You don't need a building surveying qualification to spot a scratched window or a chipped bath. But consider something like a crack above a window.

Is it shrinkage? Is there an issue with the lintel? Is there differential movement? Should there be a movement joint nearby? Is the masonry properly supported? Or is it completely insignificant?

Likewise, staining around a window might simply need redecorating. But it could also indicate a problem with the window installation, weather seals, cavity detailing or water penetration. That's where construction knowledge becomes important.

The purpose of a professional snagging inspection shouldn't be to find the greatest possible number of faults. It should be to identify the faults that matter and understand why they have occurred.

What standards should your new home be inspected against?

There isn't one universal document called the "UK Snagging Standard". That is another reason to ask your inspector what they're actually inspecting against. Depending upon the property and the type of inspection, relevant benchmarks can include:

• The New Homes Quality Board Pre-Completion Inspection Checklist — this applies where a formal Pre-Completion Inspection is being undertaken under the New Homes Quality Code.
• The warranty provider's technical standards — for example, where NHBC provides the warranty, its technical standards may be relevant.
• Building Regulations and Approved Documents — where something observed raises a potential regulatory issue.
• Manufacturers' installation requirements — sometimes a component has simply not been installed in the way its manufacturer requires.
• Recognised workmanship standards and tolerances — because not every minor visual imperfection represents a defect.

A good report should make these distinctions clear. It should not describe something as "non-compliant" simply because the inspector doesn't like it. Equally, the builder shouldn't be able to dismiss a legitimate defect by simply saying: "It's within tolerance."

If somebody says that, there is a perfectly reasonable follow-up question: "Which tolerance?"

What does a professional snagging inspection actually look at?

A proper inspection is systematic. Externally, we'd normally be looking at the walls, brickwork or render, pointing, movement joints, windows, doors, roof details, rainwater goods, paths, patios, drives, drainage falls and other accessible external construction.

Internally, we'd consider walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows, stairs, guarding, kitchens, bathrooms, accessible plumbing fittings, heating controls and visible ventilation arrangements. Where access is safe, the roof space can be particularly revealing. It allows us to consider visible roof construction, insulation, ventilation, staining, services and workmanship that simply cannot be seen from the rooms below.

Depending on the scope and circumstances, drone inspection can also be extremely useful for roofs. There are limitations, of course. A finished house contains a huge amount of concealed construction. We can't see inside every wall or beneath every floor without opening the building up. A snagging survey therefore isn't a certificate guaranteeing that every hidden component has been built correctly. It is an independent professional inspection of what can reasonably be seen and tested within the agreed scope.

Should you use a qualified surveyor?

We think you should use somebody who can demonstrate appropriate qualifications, competence and insurance. That doesn't mean every independent snagging company without an RICS surveyor is poor. There are undoubtedly experienced inspectors working within the industry. But as a buyer, you should know what you're paying for. Ask the inspector:

• What qualifications do you hold?
• Which professional body are you accountable to?
• Do you have Professional Indemnity insurance for this type of work?
• Which technical standards will you use?
• Are you suitably qualified to undertake an NHQB Pre-Completion Inspection?
• Can you recognise when a cosmetic defect might indicate something more significant?

If those questions don't have straightforward answers, we'd think carefully before appointing them.

Why Altura approaches snagging slightly differently

Our background isn't purely in residential surveys. Altura's Managing Director, Paul Gallie MCIAT AssocRICS, is a Building Surveyor and Chartered Architectural Technologist with more than two decades of experience across building design, specification, construction and project management.

That means when we inspect a new home, we're not simply looking at the finished surfaces. We're thinking about how the building has been put together. There is an important difference between: "That doesn't look right." and: "That doesn't look right, and this is why."

That is the value we believe a professionally qualified building inspector should bring to a snagging survey.

What happens when you find defects?

Don't just telephone the site manager. Put them in writing. Send the developer the report and keep:

• photographs;
• emails;
• dates defects were reported;
• promised repair dates;
• records of contractor visits;
• photographs after repairs;
• warranty documents.

It sounds overly cautious when everything is amicable. If the same problem remains unresolved six months later, you'll be pleased you did it.

Under the New Homes Quality Code, most after-sales issues should be resolved within 30 days. Where there is a significant reason that cannot happen, the developer should explain the delay and provide regular updates.

What if the developer won't fix something?

Start with the developer's formal complaints procedure. Again, keep it in writing. Where the New Homes Quality Code applies, qualifying unresolved complaints can potentially be referred to the New Homes Ombudsman Service in accordance with the scheme rules. Other consumer codes and warranty providers have their own resolution procedures.

This is another reason why establishing which code and warranty apply to your house at the beginning is so important. If a significant technical issue is being disputed, professional evidence can also become important.

A report that simply says: "Brickwork poor — rectify." isn't particularly helpful. A report explaining what has been observed, why it matters and the relevant technical requirement gives both purchaser and developer something much more useful to work with.

Our advice to anyone buying a new-build

Don't be embarrassed about inspecting a brand-new house. And don't assume that because the property has Building Regulations approval and a 10-year warranty there is nothing for you to worry about.

The vast majority of snags aren't catastrophic. Most are simply things that should have been completed better and need putting right. The important thing is identifying them while the developer is still responsible, recording them properly and recognising the smaller number of defects that might indicate something more significant.

• If possible, arrange the first professional inspection before completion.
• Photograph cosmetic damage as soon as you receive the keys.
• Report defects promptly and in writing.
• Keep your records.
• Consider another inspection before the initial two-year builder warranty period expires.

Above all, make sure the person inspecting the house actually understands how the house should have been built.

Frequently asked questions