New Build Snagging Lists: What They Cost and What Developers Must Fix
A professional snagging survey typically costs £300 to £600 and identifies an average of 100+ defects on a new-build home. Here is what snagging covers, what it costs, and how much leverage it gives you against the developer.
What Is Snagging?
"Snagging" is the process of identifying defects, faults and unfinished work in a new-build property after construction but typically after legal completion. A "snag" can range from a scuffed skirting board to a poorly sealed window letting in water.
Every new-build home has snags — it is a normal part of the construction and handover process, not necessarily a sign of a bad developer. The question is how many, how serious, and how quickly they get fixed.
Cost of a Professional Snagging Survey
| Property size | Typical cost (2026) |
|---|---|
| 1-2 bedroom flat | £250-£400 |
| 3 bedroom house | £350-£500 |
| 4 bedroom house | £450-£650 |
| 5+ bedroom house | £700-£1,000+ |
| Per-bedroom pricing (some firms) | £80-£150 per bedroom |
Some companies also offer a re-inspection visit (checking that reported snags have actually been fixed) for an additional fee, typically £100-£200.
While you can snag a property yourself for free, a professional snagging surveyor — often a qualified building surveyor or ex-site manager — will typically identify significantly more issues than an untrained buyer, including issues that aren't visually obvious (damp readings, insulation gaps found via thermal imaging, structural alignment checks).
How Many Defects Is "Normal"?
Independent snagging companies and industry bodies have published data over several years showing new-build homes commonly have well over 100 identified snags, spanning:
| Category | Example issues |
|---|---|
| Cosmetic | Paint splashes, scuffed paintwork, misaligned kitchen units, marked worktops |
| Doors and windows | Doors not closing properly, draughty window seals, missing trickle vents |
| Plumbing | Dripping taps, poor water pressure, incorrectly fitted waste pipes |
| Electrical | Loose sockets, missing covers, non-functioning switches |
| External/structural | Poor pointing, guttering not properly aligned, uneven paving, incomplete landscaping |
| Insulation/ventilation | Gaps in loft insulation, extractor fans not vented correctly |
Most of these are minor and quick to fix. A smaller subset — perhaps 5-10% — may be more significant, such as water ingress, structural movement, or heating system faults, and these deserve priority escalation.
Your Warranty and the Defects Liability Period
Almost all new-build homes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland come with a 10-year structural warranty from providers such as NHBC, LABC Warranty, Premier Guarantee, or Build-Zone. The warranty structure typically breaks down as:
| Period | Who is responsible | What's covered |
|---|---|---|
| Years 0-2 (Defects Insurance Period / DIP) | Developer | Most defects — the builder must fix at their own cost |
| Years 2-10 (Structural Insurance Period) | Warranty provider | Major structural defects only (foundations, load-bearing walls, roof structure) |
This means the first two years are your key window: report everything you find, because the developer is obliged to fix it directly. After year 2, only significant structural issues are covered — general snagging (paint, fittings, minor plumbing) is no longer claimable.
The New Homes Quality Code and Ombudsman
Since 2022, most major UK developers have signed up to the New Homes Quality Code, a set of standards overseen by the New Homes Quality Board, with complaints escalation via the New Homes Ombudsman Service. This gives buyers:
- A defined process for reporting defects and expected response timescales from the developer.
- An independent escalation route if a developer fails to resolve issues satisfactorily.
- Standards around pre-completion information, sales practices and after-care service.
If your developer is registered with the scheme (check before you buy, or ask your solicitor), unresolved snagging disputes after using the developer's own complaints process can be referred to the Ombudsman free of charge.
Timeline: When to Snag
| Stage | Action |
|---|---|
| Before completion (if developer allows access) | Informal walk-round, flag obvious issues |
| Day of / within days of completion | Book a professional snagging survey |
| Weeks 1-8 | Submit full snag list to developer in writing, request timescales |
| Months 2-6 | Follow up on outstanding items, re-inspect if needed |
| Month 22-24 (before DIP ends) | Do a final comprehensive check before the 2-year developer defects period closes |
Reporting everything before the 2-year defects liability period ends is critical — after that point, only structural warranty claims (a much narrower category) remain available.
Can You Negotiate or Withhold Payment?
For most new-build purchases, completion happens on the scheduled date and the full purchase price is paid, with snagging addressed afterwards through the warranty and complaints process. It is uncommon — though not impossible — to negotiate a retention (an agreed sum held by your solicitor pending fixes) for known, unresolved issues identified before completion. This must be agreed contractually with the developer in advance; you cannot unilaterally withhold funds at completion without risking breach of contract.
The practical lesson: budget for a £300-£600 snagging survey as a standard cost of buying new-build, report issues promptly and in writing, and understand that your strongest leverage is the 2-year developer defects period, not the completion date itself.
Frequently asked questions
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