The New Build Snagging Checklist
A practical, room-by-room checklist for Cambridge new-build buyers — what you can check yourself before and after handover, and where a DIY inspection reaches its limits.
Before you get the keys
- Ask the developer for the handover pack: warranties, certificates, appliance manuals and the energy performance certificate.
- Book your snagging inspection as close to legal completion as possible — ideally before you move furniture in.
- Check your purchase contract for the developer's defect reporting procedure and any time limits.
- Photograph every room on your first visit, before anything is moved in, as a dated baseline.
Walls, ceilings and joinery
- Run a straight edge along walls and ceilings in raking light to spot uneven plaster and poor taping.
- Check skirting and architrave mitres for open joints, filler shrinkage and paint shadowing.
- Open and close every door: check for binding, dropped hinges, uneven gaps and missing draught seals.
- Inspect stair balustrades for movement and check spindle spacing is under 100mm.
Windows and external doors
- Operate every window and door lock, handle and restrictor; check trickle vents open and close.
- Look for cracked or scratched glazing, and failed sealed units (condensation between panes).
- Check external seals around frames for gaps — a common source of draughts and water ingress.
- Confirm trickle vents and night latches meet the ventilation requirements of Approved Document F.
Kitchen, bathrooms and plumbing
- Run every tap and check for leaks under sinks; fill baths and basins and watch the waste drain.
- Check silicone seals around baths, showers and worktops for gaps and poor finishing.
- Flush every toilet and check cisterns refill correctly and pans are securely fixed.
- Test the extractor fans actually vent outside — not into the loft or a boxed-in void.
Heating, electrics and services
- Bleed every radiator and check for cold spots that suggest sludge or balancing issues.
- Test every socket with a socket tester and check the consumer unit circuits are labelled.
- Confirm the boiler has been commissioned and benchmarked, and the certificate is in the handover pack.
- Check smoke and heat alarms are present on every storey and interlinked.
Outside and the roofline
- Walk the boundary: check fencing, gates, turf and that ground levels fall away from the house.
- Look up at the roofline for slipped tiles, cracked ridge bedding and poorly seated flashing.
- Check gutters and downpipes are aligned, jointed and discharge into drains — not onto paths.
- Inspect brickwork for chipped bricks, mortar snots and weep holes blocked with debris.
The defects this checklist can't find
What you can't see: the thermal envelope
Missing cavity insulation, cold bridging at lintels and unsealed frame perimeters are invisible to the eye. A FLIR thermal scan reveals them in minutes — and they directly affect your heating bills and Approved Document L compliance.
What you can't reach: the roof
Ridge bedding, valley flashing, verge pointing and flue terminations can't be inspected safely from the ground. A drone survey by a CAA-registered operator with a CAA Flyer ID captures 4K evidence without scaffolding.
What developers dispute: tolerances
Site teams routinely dismiss defects as 'within tolerance'. A professional report cites the exact NHBC Standards chapter and Building Regulations clause, leaving no room for argument.
Our Comprehensive Diagnostic Snag covers 250+ check points — everything on this page, plus the thermal imaging and drone roof survey a homeowner can't perform — with every defect cited against NHBC Standards and the Building Regulations.