Our pre-completion snagging surveys start from £450. The figure is fixed for your specific property and confirmed before you book, and it covers the inspection and the written snagging report. There is no call-out charge and no travel surcharge across our Greater Manchester and Cheshire catchment — the property determines the fee, not the postcode.
New Build Snagging Survey
Pre-Completion Snagging Survey
Moving into a new build? A professional RPSA-qualified snagging inspection — also known as a pre-completion inspection — helps identify defects, incomplete finishes, and poor workmanship before legal completion, so you can raise issues with the developer early. You’ll receive a clear, photo-backed new build snagging list in a developer-friendly format to support a smoother handover, and a useful reference for any items that go on to be raised under the NHBC two-year defects period.
— RPSA Qualified • Photographic Evidence • Developer-Ready Report
WHAT THIS SURVEY IS FOR
Spot defects early with a new build snagging survey
A pre-completion snagging survey — sometimes searched for as a pre-completion inspection, new build snagging survey or simply a snagging inspection — is designed to find issues that are easy to miss during a quick viewing. From cosmetic defects and incomplete items to obvious alignment problems and poor finishing, we produce a clear, itemised new build snagging list with photos, written in a developer-friendly format, so you can raise snags promptly and get them resolved efficiently.
This is especially useful when you’re close to exchange or completion dates and want confidence the property is handed over in the condition you expected. The snagging list is also a useful reference document for items that may need to be raised later under the developer’s NHBC warranty or two-year defects period.
New build snagging instructions take us across Manchester, Wilmslow and Salford, wherever the developer is handing over across the North West.
If your new build has already completed and you’re looking for an independent condition overview rather than a developer snagging list, our Level 1 Home Survey may be more appropriate.
What’s included and what it isn’t
What We Check in a Snagging Survey
Our snagging inspection is a visual assessment of accessible areas, focused on defects, incomplete finishes, and obvious workmanship issues. You’ll receive a clear snagging list with photos to help you raise items with the developer before completion.
What the survey includes
- A visual inspection of accessible areas throughout the property
- Identification of obvious defects, poor finishes, and incomplete items
- Photo evidence to support discussions with the developer
- A clear, itemised snagging list in a developer-friendly format
- Practical next steps to help you raise issues promptly
What the survey does not include
- Invasive or destructive inspection (no opening up of concealed areas)
- Testing of electrical, heating, plumbing, or drainage systems
- Detailed investigation of hidden defects or complex issues
- Repair methods, costings, or contractor quotations
What snags we typically find on new builds
Most snagging lists fall into a recognisable set of categories. We work through each room methodically with the buyer’s developer-friendly list in mind — clearly described items with photographs, so the developer has everything they need to action them quickly.
Alignment, plaster and finishing
Doors and drawers that don’t close flush, uneven skirting joints, plaster cracks at room and ceiling junctions, paint runs, drips, patches, missed areas, and uneven tile lines. These cosmetic issues are easy to miss during a final viewing but show up clearly under a methodical room-by-room inspection.
Sealants, grouting and silicone
Bath, shower and basin sealant, sealant lines around windows and external doors, kitchen splashbacks, and grouting in wet areas. Poor or incomplete sealant is one of the more common new-build defects and can lead to water damage if not corrected before use.
Tiles, flooring and surface finishing
Chipped, cracked or poorly aligned tiles; lippage where tiles meet at different heights; gaps at floor edges; laminate joins; carpet fitting and underlay coverage. Flooring issues are a recurring snagging item across most developments.
Plumbing, taps and bathroom fixtures
Taps, isolation valves, drainage flow at sinks and showers, shower screens, visible leaks under basins or at radiator connections, and the operation of WCs and flush mechanisms. Most issues here are visible without dismantling — we record what we can see and recommend testing where appropriate.
Electrics, switches and sockets
Visible defects to sockets, switches, light fittings and USB / data points where installed; cosmetic damage to faceplates; consumer unit labelling. We don’t carry out electrical testing or certification — that remains the developer’s and certifying contractor’s responsibility.
Windows, doors and ironmongery
Opening and closing, weatherstrip condition, glazing marking and damage, lock and handle operation, hinge alignment, internal door catches. Both internal and external doors are checked.
Roof, loft and external fabric
From accessible viewpoints we look at slate or tile alignment, flashing at junctions, render finishes, brickwork pointing, and visible roof edge and gable detailing. The loft is inspected where access is safe and available — we note insulation coverage and visible roof structure.
Ventilation, extractors and trickle vents
Operation and cleanliness of bathroom and kitchen extractors, presence and condition of trickle vents in windows per current Building Regulations, and any visible gaps in mechanical ventilation runs. New-build ventilation detailing is a common area of snagging concern.
New build snagging survey cost
A new build snagging survey costs From £450, fixed for your property and confirmed before you book. That is the whole fee for the inspection and the written snagging report — there is no separate call-out charge and no travel surcharge anywhere in our Greater Manchester and Cheshire catchment.
It is worth setting the price against what it protects. A snagging list handed to the developer before legal completion puts the cost of putting those defects right on them rather than on you. After completion the same list carries far less weight, which is why the timing matters more than the fee.
What changes the price
- The size and type of the plot — a three-storey townhouse or a large detached home takes longer to work through than a one-bedroom apartment.
- How complete the build is on the day. A property still being finished generates a longer list and a longer inspection.
- Whether the garden, garage, outbuildings and external works are included, or the plot is still a building site.
- Access to the roof space, services and any integral garage on the day of the inspection.
The fee covers the inspection and the report. It does not include repair costings or contractor quotations — putting the defects right is the developer's responsibility, not something we price. If you want the wider condition of a newer home assessed rather than its finish, compare snagging against a Level 1 Home Survey, and see the full survey cost breakdown for every level.
Our pre-completion snagging survey process
Simple, fast, and developer-friendly from booking to snagging list
1
Book Your Snagging Survey
Same day responseRequest a quote and share your completion timeline. We'll confirm the best time to inspect before handover.
- Free advice on timing
- Fixed price quote
- Flexible scheduling
- Quick booking process
2
Snagging Inspection
Typically 1–3 hours on siteWe carry out a visual inspection of accessible areas to identify defects, incomplete works, and poor finishes.
- Room-by-room inspection
- Photo evidence
- Clear defect notes
- Developer-friendly formatting
3
Receive Your Snagging List
Typically within 5 working daysYou receive an itemised snagging list with photos and clear next steps, ready to send to your developer.
- Itemised snag list
- Photo-backed evidence
- Clear priorities
- Follow-up questions welcome
1
Book Your Snagging Survey
Request a quote and share your completion timeline. We'll confirm the best time to inspect before handover.
- Free advice on timing
- Fixed price quote
- Flexible scheduling
- Quick booking process
2
Snagging Inspection
We carry out a visual inspection of accessible areas to identify defects, incomplete works, and poor finishes.
- Room-by-room inspection
- Photo evidence
- Clear defect notes
- Developer-friendly formatting
3
Receive Your Snagging List
You receive an itemised snagging list with photos and clear next steps, ready to send to your developer.
- Itemised snag list
- Photo-backed evidence
- Clear priorities
- Follow-up questions welcome
Get a Snagging Quote
Or call 07850 407671
Frequently Asked Questions
Most Asked Questions
FAQs
Mainly size and how finished the build is. A large detached house or a three-storey townhouse takes longer to work through than a one-bedroom apartment, and a property still being completed generates a longer defect list and a longer inspection. Whether the garden, garage and external works are ready to inspect also affects the scope. The price does not include repair costings or contractor quotations — putting the defects right is the developer's responsibility.
Send us the property address, the plot type and your expected completion date and we will confirm a fixed price. If your completion date is close, say so — a snagging survey is most useful before legal completion, because that is when the developer is still responsible for putting the defects right.
A snagging survey is an inspection of a new-build property carried out before legal completion. It identifies defects, poor workmanship, and incomplete items so they can be addressed by the developer.
A snagging survey is ideally carried out after the developer has confirmed the property is ready, but before legal completion or handover. This gives you the best opportunity to raise issues early.
The inspection covers accessible internal and external elements, including finishes, fittings, fixtures, doors, windows, walls, floors, and visible defects or incomplete works.
Yes. Snagging surveys identify both minor and more significant defects, including cosmetic issues, poor finishes, and items that fall below expected standards.
The survey focuses on workmanship and visible defects rather than formal certification, but issues that appear to fall below expected standards are clearly highlighted.
Ideally a snagging survey is carried out after the developer has confirmed the property is ready for handover but before legal completion — the window where you have the most leverage to get items addressed. If completion has already happened, snagging is still valuable: items raised within the first two years sit within the developer’s NHBC defects period, and a documented snagging list gives you a clear, photo-backed record to work from.
A typical new build snagging list groups items by room, with each entry described in plain English alongside photographs. Items cover alignment and plastering issues, sealant and grouting, tile and floor finishing, plumbing visibility, electrical fittings, windows and doors, accessible roof and external fabric, and ventilation detailing. The list is written so a developer’s site team can locate and action each item without needing to call back — that’s why we focus on clarity and photo evidence rather than technical jargon.
In practice, yes — "snagging survey", "pre-completion inspection" and "snagging inspection" all refer to the same visual assessment of a new build before legal completion. The terminology varies between developers, warranty providers and surveying practices, but the underlying inspection scope is the same: a room-by-room check of finishes, fittings, fixtures and accessible elements, with an itemised list of defects to be raised with the developer.
NHBC (National House Building Council) warranty cover typically operates in two phases — a developer-led defects period for the first two years, and a longer structural warranty for years three to ten. A snagging survey isn’t part of the warranty itself, but it produces a documented, photo-backed list of issues that can be raised under the two-year defects period. Having that record in writing from an independent surveyor strengthens your position if items aren’t addressed promptly.
Yes — we cover new build snagging instructions across Manchester, Salford, Trafford, Stockport, Cheshire and the wider North West. Most developments in the catchment are within easy reach from our Altrincham base, and we can usually attend before completion at short notice when handover dates move.
It’s not too late. Items identified after legal completion still fall within the developer’s NHBC two-year defects period, and a documented snagging list remains a useful record to raise with them. If you’re some time past completion and your priorities have shifted toward overall condition rather than developer defects, a Level 1 Home Survey may be a more appropriate fit — there’s a cross-link on the main page that explains the difference.