0161 210 3766
Awarded at the Home Builder Awards, the second year running
Members of the Residential
Property Surveyors Association
Regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
Chartered with the Association of Building Engineers
Proudly published by the
HomeOwners Alliance
Regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
Members of the Residential Property Surveyors Association
Awarded at the Home Builder Awards, the second year running
Proudly published by the
HomeOwners Alliance.
As the only RICS Regulated nationwide professional snagging company, we can offer two levels of inspection. A pre completion inspection or a post completion inspection. A pre completion inspection meets New Homes Quality Board requirements and is an entry level assessment of your home. Our post completion inspection is a more detailed inspection, where we can also use advanced equipment to check your home. We recommend a post completion inspection for the most comprehensive check of your home.
Pre-Completion Inspection
✓ Entry level inspection
✓ RICS or RPSA Accredited Surveyor
✓ New Homes Quality Board compliant
✓ Pre-completion inspection checklist used
✓ Checklist PDF report emailed within 48 hours
Post-Completion Inspection
✓ A more detailed inspection
✓ RICS or RPSA Accredited Surveyor
✓ Based on building regulations and warranty provider tolerances
✓ Fully annotated report with images
✓ PDF report emailed within 48 hours
✓ Option to include drone inspection
✓ Option to include a thermal imaging inspection
Find a Date Using Our Online Diary
Affordable Options
Save a date for just £45, choose to spread your bill across three affordable payments or delay your final payment until 48 hours before your inspection
What if my completion date changes?
Inspection Day
Receive Your Report in 48 Hours
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.
Affordable Options
Save a date for just £45, choose to spread your bill across three affordable payments or delay your final payment until 48 hours before your inspection
What if my completion date changes?
Snagging Survey Day
Receive Your Report in 48 Hours
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 the only RICS Regulated nationwide professional snagging company in the UK, offering industry leading prices and unrivalled customer service. 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 report 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.
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 list is comprehensive, to give you confidence when dealing with developers and peace of mind in your new home.
We are the only RICS Regulated nationwide professional snagging company in the UK, offering industry leading prices and unrivalled customer service. 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I claim for cracks or damp?
I’m the second owner—what limitations apply?
What is the NHBC Technical Requirements?
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 with snagging
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.
Snagging FAQs
What is 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?
Who pays for snagging?
How long is the new build snagging period?
When should I book my snagging inspection?
Ideally, you should have your snagging done prior to moving in, once all tradesmen have finished their work, but are still on site.
Some developers will not grant access to professional snaggers pre completion. However, if your developer is registered with the New Homes Quality Board, you are entitled to a Pre-Completion Inspection, which we detail in the pre completion inspection page.
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.
How many defects does snagging 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+.
Can I change my snagging date 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.
Andrew Pemberton - Senior Manager - Surveying
We’re thrilled to welcome Andrew Pemberton as our Senior Manager – Surveying. With 25 years of experience in the residential property sector, Andrew brings extensive expertise in property surveys, defect diagnosis, and building construction.
A Chartered Building Engineer, Chartered member of the CIOB, RICS member, and RPSA member, Andrew’s qualifications ensure clients receive the highest level of professional insight. He is also a Property Care Association-certified surveyor in remedial treatments (damp, wood-destroying fungi, and wood-boring insects) and structural waterproofing (below-ground structures and basements).
Andrew’s background in insurance repair—including fire, flood, and subsidence claims—along with his new-build specialisms, makes him a valuable asset to our team. His expertise will enhance our service, ensuring clients receive thorough, accurate, and reliable surveying solutions.