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New-build snagging survey London: independent inspection and snagging list
A new-build warranty does not make a new home defect-free. A snagging survey London buyers can use with the developer records finishing defects, incomplete work and non-compliant detail while the developer is still obliged to put them right.
We inspect new-build houses and flats across London room by room, externally and internally, recording each snag with a location, a photograph and a clear description a site manager can act on. Where access allows, we also review roof spaces, service cupboards, balconies and external works, because the most expensive new-build problems are rarely in the paint finish.
This is a new build snagging survey, not a structural survey of an older property. If inspection shows movement, damp, fire-stopping or other issues that need deeper diagnosis, we say so clearly and point you to the right follow-on route rather than padding the snag list.
We are independent of the developer and of any warranty provider. Our role is to give you an evidence-led schedule and to explain which items are genuine defects, which are within tolerance, and which need escalating - including in the context of NHBC Buildmark or other new home warranty arrangements. We advise on the process; we do not act as warranty claims handlers, and we say so plainly.
London new-build completions cluster in exactly the formats where snagging pays for itself: high-volume apartment blocks, permitted-development and mixed-use conversions, and speculative houses finished at pace to hit a sales programme. The visible finishes are only part of it — the defects that cost most later are poorly sealed windows and balcony thresholds, missing or bridged insulation, inadequate ventilation, drainage falls and incomplete fire-stopping between flats. Booking an independent pre-completion inspection, and a re-inspection before the end of the builder warranty period, puts the obligation to fix squarely on the developer while it still applies.
Provider
Hampstead Chartered Surveyors & Building Consultancy, Hampstead NW3
Reviewed by
Savas Bulduk BSc (Hons) MRICS, Director & Chartered Building Surveyor
Coverage
North, North West, Central, West, South West, South East and East London
Service
Snagging Survey London
Regulation
RICS Regulated Firm No. 923064
Insurance
Professional indemnity insurance held
Contact
What to send, and what you receive
Send a few details about the property and we will confirm the snagging survey cost, timing and access requirements before you instruct.
What to send before we quote
- The property address and postcode
- Developer name and plot number, if known
- Your stage: pre-completion, after handover, or approaching the end of the defects period
- Any developer access rules or customer care contact details
- Photos of defects you have already noticed
What you receive
- A photographed snag schedule, numbered by room and element
- Plain-English defect descriptions the developer can action
- Priority notes separating urgent defects, tolerance issues and maintenance items
- Warranty and customer care timing notes where relevant
Some issues, for example structural movement, drainage or damp, can need specialist follow-up; we say clearly when that applies and what is and is not covered. Ask what the report would include.
When a snagging survey earns its fee
- Before legal completion, where the developer allows a pre-completion inspection under the New Homes Quality Code
- Immediately after handover, while the developer customer care route is freshest
- Approaching the end of the builder warranty period, often two years from policy start or legal completion depending on the scheme
- Where finishing quality is visibly poor and you want the full picture, not a sample
- Before a retention or completion payment is released on a bespoke build
- Where a managing agent or freeholder wants common parts of a new block snagged as well as the flats
What this service covers
Pre-completion inspection
A full snag schedule before you complete, prioritised so the developer can close items out before you move in.
Post-handover snagging
Room-by-room inspection after handover, recording defects, incomplete work and damage with photographs and locations.
End-of-defects inspection
A sweep before the rectification period closes, so latent and seasonal defects are reported while the obligation to fix them still exists.
Developer liaison support
Clear, numbered schedules in a format site teams accept, and advice on escalation routes where responses stall - including warranty context, without acting as claims handlers.
Outputs
- Numbered, photographed snag schedule, ordered by room and element
- Severity flags separating defects from tolerance and maintenance items
- Notes on items that may be warranty-relevant rather than developer snags
- A format developers' customer-care teams can work through and sign off
- Optional re-inspection visit confirming what was actually closed out
Process
Confirm scope and access
We agree the property type, timing relative to completion or the defects period, and access with the developer or your conveyancer.
Inspect
A chartered surveyor inspects room by room, externally where accessible, and to roof spaces and service areas where safe access exists.
Schedule
Each item is numbered, located, photographed and described in plain, actionable language.
Prioritise
We separate genuine defects from tolerance and maintenance matters so the schedule carries weight.
Issue and advise
You receive the schedule promptly with advice on presenting it and on warranty-relevant items.
Re-inspect (optional)
We return to verify closures before you sign anything off or the defects period ends.
Snagging survey cost factors in London
Snagging survey cost is set by property size, type and the inspection stage - a pre-completion flat visit is a different exercise from a four-storey townhouse with external works at the end of year two.
We confirm a fixed fee in writing after scoping the home, access and the brief, before any work starts. Re-inspection visits are quoted separately, so you know the cost of checking developer close-out before you instruct.
What affects the fee
- Size and layout of the house or flat, and number of bathrooms/kitchens
- Stage: pre-completion, post-handover or end of defects period
- External elements: gardens, balconies, parking, outbuildings
- Whether common parts of a block are included
- Re-inspection visits to verify close-out
Where the Code, Ombudsman and warranty fit
A snagging schedule is strongest when it follows the route your developer and warranty provider recognise.
For registered developers, the New Homes Quality Board explains the New Homes Quality Code and the buyer protections that run to two years after legal completion. Where a registered developer does not resolve a complaint, the New Homes Ombudsman Service is the relevant escalation route.
If the home has NHBC Buildmark, NHBC describes the builder warranty period as usually the first two years from the policy start date. We do not act as warranty claims handlers; we prepare clear evidence so your developer customer care route, warranty provider or adviser can see what was found and what remains open.
Related articles and guidance
What surveyors look for: survey checklist
The inspection logic behind a thorough snagging list.
View What surveyors look for: survey checklistLevel 2 vs Level 3 home surveys
Which RICS survey suits your purchase.
View Level 2 vs Level 3 home surveysWhen do you need a chartered surveyor?
12 common scenarios where independent advice pays for itself.
View When do you need a chartered surveyor?Snagging survey costs in London
Typical fees, inspection scope and warranty timing.
View Snagging survey costs in LondonA representative snagging inspection for a new-build London flat
The following London inspection and reporting workflow breakdown shows how our RICS surveyors scope, inspect and report on real properties across London; see our published London surveying case studies for completed project records.
- Client type: a new-build buyer
- Property type: a recently completed flat in a new development
- Issue: finish defects, incomplete works and snags before completion
- Instruction: an independent pre-completion snagging inspection
- Output: a clear, itemised snagging schedule with photographs to issue to the developer
- Outcome: the buyer had a documented list to raise during the defects period
- Related services: RICS Home Surveys, Building Surveyors London
Not sure which survey you need? Send the property link and we'll point you to the right level of advice.
Ask which survey you needNew Build Snagging Survey London FAQs
What is a snagging survey?
A snagging survey is an independent inspection of a new-build home that records defects, unfinished work and poor-quality finishing in a schedule the developer can act on. It focuses on workmanship and completion rather than the structural condition matters covered by a building survey of an older property.
When should I book a snagging inspection — before completion or within the two-year defects period?
Ideally before legal completion, if the developer permits a pre-completion inspection - the New Homes Quality Code has made this more common. Failing that, as soon as possible after handover, and again shortly before the defects or rectification period ends so latent items are caught while the developer is still obliged to fix them.
How much does a snagging survey in London cost?
From £350 plus VAT for one-bedroom apartments — fixed fee by bedroom count, confirmed before you instruct.
Do I need a snagging survey if the developer has NHBC?
A new-build warranty does not make a new home defect-free. If the home has NHBC Buildmark, NHBC describes the builder warranty period as usually the first two years from the policy start date. We do not act as warranty claims handlers; we prepare clear evidence so your developer customer care route, warranty provider or adviser can see what was found and what remains open.
Related services
RICS Level 3 Building Survey
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View ServiceRICS Level 2 Home Surveys
Level 2 reports for purchases of conventional houses and flats.
View Level 2 Home SurveysClerk of Works
Independent quality inspection during construction, not just at the end.
View ServiceMeasured Surveys & Lease Plans
Accurate floor plans and lease plans for London property.
View ServiceBuilding Pathology
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View ServiceDrone Roof & Facade Inspections
Close visual inspection of roofs and facades without scaffolding.
View ServiceDedicated new-build snagging survey area guides
Central London
W1, WC1-WC2, SW1 & EC — Zone 1 coverage.
View Central London snagging surveyAbbey Wood
SE2 — Greenwich.
View Abbey Wood snagging surveyBermondsey
SE1 — Southwark.
View Bermondsey snagging surveyBethnal Green
E2 — Tower Hamlets.
View Bethnal Green snagging surveyBow
E3 — Tower Hamlets.
View Bow snagging surveyBrent
HA9 — Brent.
View Brent snagging surveyCanary Wharf
E14 — Tower Hamlets.
View Canary Wharf snagging surveyCatford
SE6 — Lewisham.
View Catford snagging surveyCharlton
SE7 — Greenwich.
View Charlton snagging surveyClapham Junction
SW11 — Wandsworth.
View Clapham Junction snagging surveyColindale
NW9 — Barnet.
View Colindale snagging surveyCroydon
CR0 — Croydon.
View Croydon snagging surveyDalston
E8 — Hackney.
View Dalston snagging surveyDeptford
SE8 — Lewisham.
View Deptford snagging surveyElephant and Castle
SE1 — Southwark.
View Elephant and Castle snagging surveyForest Gate
E7 — Newham.
View Forest Gate snagging surveyHackney
E8 — Hackney.
View Hackney snagging surveyKing's Cross
N1C — Camden.
View King's Cross snagging surveyLewisham
SE13 — Lewisham.
View Lewisham snagging surveyNewham
E15 — Newham.
View Newham snagging surveyNine Elms
SW8 — Wandsworth.
View Nine Elms snagging surveyPoplar
E14 — Tower Hamlets.
View Poplar snagging surveyRotherhithe
SE16 — Southwark.
View Rotherhithe snagging surveyShoreditch
E1 — Hackney.
View Shoreditch snagging surveySouthwark
SE1 — Southwark.
View Southwark snagging surveyStratford
E15 — Newham.
View Stratford snagging surveyTottenham
N17 — Haringey.
View Tottenham snagging surveyTottenham Hale
N17 — Haringey.
View Tottenham Hale snagging surveyTower Hamlets
E1 — Tower Hamlets.
View Tower Hamlets snagging surveyVauxhall
SW8 — Lambeth.
View Vauxhall snagging surveyWandsworth
SW18 — Wandsworth.
View Wandsworth snagging surveyWhitechapel
E1 — Tower Hamlets.
View Whitechapel snagging surveyWood Green
N22 — Haringey.
View Wood Green snagging surveyWoolwich
SE18 — Greenwich.
View Woolwich snagging surveyBuying or just completed on a London new build? Call 020 7101 4590.
Enquire about New-Build Snagging Surveys
Tell us briefly about the building and what you need. Your enquiry goes directly to our chartered surveying team.
We respond to enquiries within one working day.
Prefer to talk it through first? Call 020 7101 4590 or email enquiries@hampsteadcharteredsurveyors.co.uk.
Typical fees: New-Build Snagging Surveys instructions in London typically start from £350 plus VAT; we confirm a fixed fee after scoping the building and the brief.
Choose how defects are taken forward
A snagging record identifies observations; responsibility for remedy and any separate works appointment must remain clear.
From Survey to Completed Works
Compare the routes from an inspection record to monitored or separately contracted work.
View guidanceBuilding Pathology
Investigate a recurring or technically uncertain defect before repair.
View guidanceRefurbishment & Building Works
Review a separate delivery route for suitable post-completion improvements.
View guidanceNew-build snagging survey in Central London
Regional guidance for Central London building stock, client decisions and delivery constraints.
New-build snagging survey in Central London
A snagging survey records visible defects, incomplete work and finish issues in a newly built or recently completed home. Central London apartments also require a clear boundary between the private unit, accessible shared areas and development-wide matters controlled by the developer or management company.
View New-build snagging survey Central London guidanceDedicated Central London service guides
Compare 59 dedicated service guides and 16 core neighbourhoods.
View the Central London hubDetailed answers for this service
Explore detailed answers, local service guides and further reading.
What Does a New-Build Snagging List Include?
A room-by-room guide to the photographed, numbered and prioritised observations in an independent new-build snag schedule.
Read guidanceWhen Should You Book a New-Build Snagging Inspection?
How pre-completion, post-handover and end-of-defects inspections fit the developer, warranty and customer-care timetable.
Read guidanceDo You Need a Snagging Survey If the Developer Has NHBC?
The different roles of an independent snagging schedule, developer customer care and NHBC Buildmark cover for new-home buyers.
Read guidanceNew Build Snagging Survey in London: Deliverables & Transparent Fee Matrix
Every new build snagging survey in london instruction is confirmed by a fixed written fee proposal once the property address, tenure and scope are reviewed. Starting fees begin from £550 plus VAT; all fee guides below are exclusive of VAT (plus VAT).
| Scope / Property Band | Deliverables & Technical Scope | Typical Turnaround | Transparent Fee Guide (Excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band A — Standard / Single-Property New Build Snagging Survey in London | Pre-instruction document review, targeted site inspection or desktop appraisal, and structured RICS-aligned report. | 3–5 working days from inspection | From £550 plus VAT (new-build studio, 1-bed or 2-bed London apartment snagging inspection) |
| Band B — Comprehensive New Build Snagging Survey in London Instruction | Full site inspection, photographic defect/evidence schedule, regulatory analysis and prioritised cost/action plan. | 5–8 working days from site access | From £750 plus VAT (new-build 3–4 bed house, penthouse or developer conversion snagging survey) |
| Band C — Complex, Heritage or Multi-Unit New Build Snagging Survey in London | Listed-building, higher-risk, multi-unit or portfolio instruction with senior director review and adviser coordination. | 7–12 working days (or agreed milestone) | From £950 plus VAT (large 5+ bed detached new-build + thermal imaging & de-snag re-inspection) |