0161 210 3766
Awarded, for the second year running, at the Home Builder Awards
Regulated by the Residential Property Surveyors Association
Chartered with the Association of Building Engineers
Trusted and published by the HomeOwners Alliance.
Awarded, for the second year running, at the Home Builder Awards
Chartered with the Association of Building Engineers
Regulated by the Residential Property Surveyors Association
Trusted and published by the HomeOwners Alliance.
Find a Date Using Our Online Diary
Most people book a “soft date”. As completion dates change, we offer the flexibility to change the date of your booking. We even work on Saturday and Sunday to maximise your options.
Save your Date for Just £45
We know money can be tight when it’s time to complete, so you only need to pay your balance 48 hours before your inspection date.
What if my completion date changes?
If your completion date changes, you can rearrange your snagging inspection at no extra cost.* Just send us an email or call. (*Terms and conditions may apply)
Inspection Day
Our expert inspectors will conduct a comprehensive snagging inspection of your new home to make sure you have peace of mind.
Receive Your Report in 48 Hours
You will have your detailed snagging report emailed to you within 48 hours of your inspection. Have any questions about your report? Just ask, we are happy to help.
Find a Date Using Our Online Diary
Most people book a “soft date”. As completion dates change, we offer the flexibility to change the date of your booking. We even work on Saturday and Sunday to maximise your options.
Save your Date for Just £45
We know money can be tight when it’s time to complete, so you only need to pay your balance 48 hours before your inspection date.
What if my completion date changes?
If your completion date changes, you can rearrange your snagging inspection at no extra cost.* Just send us an email or call. (*Terms and conditions may apply)
Snagging Survey Day
Our expert inspectors will conduct a comprehensive snagging Survey of your new home to make sure you have peace of mind.
Receive Your Report in 48 Hours
You will have your detailed snagging report emailed to you within 48 hours of your inspection. Have any questions about your report? Just ask, we are happy to help.
Peace of mind in your new home
There has never been a greater demand for new build homes, which means some developers are putting profit ahead of quality. We know that buying your new home is the most expensive purchase you will ever make. It’s therefore important that your snagging survey is comprehensive, to give you confidence when dealing with developers and peace of mind in your new home.
We are a nationwide professional snagging company offering industry leading prices and unrivalled customer service across England and Wales. As a fully independent company we are not associated with any house builder, warranty provider or developer. We work solely for you. Our eye for detail and years of experience in the construction industry means we know all the tricks of the trade and will find those snags that you might not know to look for. We will produce the comprehensive snagging list you need.
Having completed thousands of snagging inspections for clients across the country, covering a wide range of developers. We produce a detailed and extensive snagging survey with fully annotated pictures and descriptions of each snag within 48 hours of our inspection. For information about our snagging surveys and to understand the snagging process contact us today.
We offer two levels of inspection, one happens before you move in, or alternatively, the other happens after you move in. Our inspection before you move in uses the pre completion inspection checklist and is an entry level assessment of your home. Our inspection after you move in is a more detailed inspection, where we can also use advanced equipment to check your home.
Inspection before
you move in
✓ An entry level inspection
✓ Pre completion inspection checklist used (PCI)
✓ Checklist report with images
✓ PDF report emailed within 48 hours
Inspection after
you move in
✓ A more detailed inspection
✓ Based on Building Regulations and warranty provider tolerances
✓ Optional Drone Inspection
✓ Optional Thermal Imaging Inspection
✓ Fully annotated report with images
✓ PDF report emailed within 48 hours
Our Customers
See our ReviewsTake a look at our latest news article published on the HomeOwners Alliance website covering What to Do If Your Builder Refuses to Fix Snags in Your New Build Home
Protecting your investment
Our survey produces an extensive snagging list. This gives you peace of mind that your new home conforms to the highest of industry standards. You can view our sample report by clicking on the “sample report” button below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Property Snagging?
Snagging is the process of checking a new build property for defects, poor workmanship and more serious issues that would fail building regulations. Almost anything in a new property can be snagged during a snagging survey. A snagging inspector will look for anything broken or damaged during the construction process, review how well fixtures and fittings have been installed, and check the quality of building and decorating finish. An example of the types of issues a snagging inspector might find could include scratches on a windowpane or worktop, ‘grinning’ due to poor paintwork, faulty extractor fans, mislaid turf, a staircase outside of tolerance or poor caulking. A full list would be near never ending as anything in a property could be snagged. A typical new home in the UK will return over 120 snags as most developments are built on mass and to tight timelines.
When Should Snagging be Done?
Snagging should be done once a building developer has finished construction and decoration. Snagging can happen before or after completion. Ideally, a snagging inspection would happen before completion. This will give the building developer plenty of time to fix the snags before the property is moved into. Additionally, having a snagging report given to property developers before moving in means that there will be no disagreement about damage being caused by a developer or caused by an occupant. That said, new home owners have up to two years to complete snagging. However, most property developers will insist on snagging happening as soon as possible to avoid the additional cost of sending contactors back to a property rather than use builders and decorators they have on site while continuing the development.
What are the Most Common Snags?
Every property is different and each development will have different standards of finish, even between developments. However, this is a list of some frequently found snags:
- Untidy finishes on plasterwork, particularly around areas such as piping, media plates, light switches and plug sockets
- Poor finishing on grouting between tiles
- Surface cracking and joints showing through on ceilings and walls
- Damage to window and door frames – especially the underside of French Door as they are often dragged on the ground during fitting
- Treads not even on staircases
- Damage to skirting woodwork
- Units, and particularly wall units, with paint splashes
- Insufficient insulation on water pipes and tanks
- Mortar splashing on brickwork
- Uneven and poor turf laying – often caused by poor groundwork
How Long Should it Take for Snags to be Fixed?
For major defects such as those causing a danger to inhabitants or construction not meeting NHBC standards then immediately and urgently. Any issues of this kind should be resolved before moving in. For snags that are less serious this would depend on the nature of the snag. Some issues such as damage to floor tiles or scratches to windowpanes could involve a lead time while the developer orders a replacement, the wait could be weeks. On the other hand issues with cosmetic finishes could be addressed the next day. This of course all depends on how helpful the developers are. Some property developers employ staff outside of their construction teams to fix snags.
Can snagging be done after completion?
Snagging can still be done after completion. In fact UK guidelines stipulate that new build home owners have up to two years from completion to snag their property. However, it is best to have your snagging survey done before completion. This is to avoid any unnecessary conflict between home owner and property developer. Once a property has been moved into it can be tricky to establish what damage or defects occurred during construction or during the day to day use of a lived in property.
Should I use a professional snagging inspector?
A professional snagging inspector comes with many benefits and will ensure that the snagging list you submit is comprehensive. Snagging is a complicated task that requires specialist knowledge across many trades. A professional snagger will have industry experience that most new build home buyers don’t have. This means that they will know what to look for and spot issues that would be missed by the untrained eye. If you are asking yourself is a snagging survey worth it? Then you only need to consider the potential costs a home owner will have to pay to fix problems that a professional snagging company will find.
Who pays for snagging?
A property developer should pay for the costs of fixing all snags in a new build property. Due to the speed and volume new build properties are built at, over 100 snags are often found by a snagging company. If these snags are missed and not included in a snagging report it is often the case that the cost of fixing these snags then falls the home owner. This is because most developers will only allow homeowners to submit one list, with no changes once the list has been submitted. However, for major faults your home will be covered under new build warranties.
How long is the new build snagging period?
The new build snagging period is two years. A developer must fix any snags reported during this period. However, ideally a snagging survey will be done before move in day. This is to ensure that any defects found are not attributed to damage caused by the property being lived in rather than poor workmanship. Furthermore, most developers have strict rules about how and when snags are submitted and fixed. Most developers will only allow one list with no changes after it is submitted so it is best to use a snagging company.
When should I book my inspection?
Ideally, you should have your property inspected prior to moving in, once all tradesmen have finished their work. Some developers will not grant access to professional snaggers pre completion. Consequently, our advise would be to book as soon after completion as possible. However, if your developer is registered with the New Homes Quality Board, you are entitled to a Pre-Completion Inspection. Don’t forget you can have an inspection carried out at any time within in the first two years of your warranty. You can submit your first snagging list at any time during this period.
Can the developer deny access to the property?
If you have not completed then legally the property still belongs to the developer. That said you have a legal interest in the property. Due to this your solicitor will be able to arrange access to the property if the developer is proving to be difficult. Furthermore, if your developer is registered with the New Homes Quality Board then you are entitled to a Pre-Completion Inspection.
How many defects (snags) do you usually find?
This will depend on the size of the property and the quality of construction and decoration. Even with the same developer, the standard of finish on different sites can be significantly different. For a typical four bed house, we find around 150 snags. However, we have in the past found as few as 50 and as many as 400+.
What happens if my completion date changes?
Get in touch with us as soon as possible and we will help you to re-schedule your snagging inspection.