Snagging Surveys for New Builds in London
Buying a new build home in Wimbledon or Greater London? A professional snagging survey catches the defects the developer’s own checks miss – from poor plastering and misaligned doors to plumbing faults and unfinished roof details – so they are fixed at the builder’s cost, not yours. Book a snagging inspection before or shortly after completion.
What Is a Snagging Survey?
A snagging survey is a detailed inspection of a newly built property that records every defect – cosmetic, functional and structural – in a photographic snagging list the developer can work from. New homes routinely contain dozens of snags; a systematic, room-by-room inspection by an independent surveyor is the only reliable way to capture them all.
When Should You Book It?
The ideal moment is between building completion and legal completion, so the developer must resolve the snag list before you move in. If your developer will not allow pre-completion access, book the inspection as soon as you get the keys – and in any case well before the end of your two-year builder warranty period, when fixing snags is still clearly the developer’s responsibility.
What Our Inspectors Check
We inspect finishes, joinery, windows and doors, kitchens and bathrooms, heating and hot water, electrics, loft spaces, external brickwork, roofline details, drainage and garden works – checking workmanship against NHBC and other warranty tolerances. Where we find evidence of more serious issues, we will tell you plainly and can investigate further with a specific defect survey.
Warranties and Developer Obligations
Most new builds carry a ten-year structural warranty (NHBC Buildmark or similar) plus a two-year developer repair period. A dated, professional snagging report gives you the evidence to hold the developer to those obligations – and is far harder to dismiss than a homeowner’s own list.
After the Report
You receive a clear, numbered snagging list with photographs, locations and severity, ready to send to the site manager or customer care team. We can re-inspect once works are complete to confirm every item has been properly closed out. For older properties, see our RICS Level 3 building survey instead.