What a Cantab Snagging Inspection Covers
Buying a newly built home is a major milestone. Our goal is to ensure your property is delivered to the exact standard you paid for — a meticulous, independent assessment that catches the defects and shortcuts builders often miss. Here is exactly what to expect when you book an inspection with us.
What is snagging?
Even the best new builds have teething problems. Snagging is the process of identifying defects, unfinished work and cosmetic issues in a newly constructed property.
These snags range from a poorly fitted skirting board or scratched window pane to more serious breaches of building regulations.
We leave no stone unturned.
Equipped with industry expertise and an eye for detail, our independent inspectors evaluate your property across three core areas.
Internal & External Evaluation
We scrutinise every room, checking walls, ceilings, floors, doors and windows for cosmetic and functional flaws. Outside, we assess brickwork, rendering, roof, guttering and external finishes.
External Boundaries & Spaces
Your home extends beyond its walls. We inspect gardens, patios, driveways, boundaries and garages to ensure structural integrity and correct finishing.
Quality of Workmanship
We benchmark the builder's work against strict UK industry standards — the alignment of fixtures and fittings, the basic functionality of plumbing and electrical outlets, and whether materials have been installed correctly.
How long does the inspection take?
We do not put a time limit on our inspections — we stay as long as it takes to be thorough. The exact duration depends on:
Property size
Larger homes naturally require more time to assess thoroughly.
Build quality
A property with a high volume of defects takes longer to document meticulously.
Furnishings
Unfurnished properties are faster to inspect; in occupied homes we navigate carefully around furniture.
A detailed, photographic report built to achieve results.
After the inspection you receive a highly detailed, photographic report to hand directly to your developer. It clearly highlights:
Warranty breaches
Areas where the property falls short of your warranty provider's standards — NHBC, LABC and similar schemes.
Regulatory failures
Any deviation from current building regulations or approved-document technical guidance.
Unfinished works
Missing fixtures, incomplete painting, or skipped final touches.
Remedial advice
Clear, actionable guidance on the repair works required, so the developer's contractors know exactly what needs fixing.
Exclusions: what we don't cover
To maintain complete transparency, a few highly specialised or non-visible areas sit outside our standard visual snagging inspection.
Valuations & legalities
We assess build quality, not market value. We do not review planning permissions or legal documents.
In-depth structural surveys
We immediately flag visible warning signs of structural failure, but we do not conduct full structural engineering surveys.
Hidden & specialised systems
We do not test the complex internals of HVAC systems, smart home automation, burglar alarms or TV/telecoms wiring.
Underground drainage
Standard inspections do not include subterranean drainage checks.
White goods
We do not run cycle tests on supplied electrical appliances — ovens, washing machines and similar.
Serious findings get flagged immediately.
Your safety and peace of mind are our priority. If during our standard inspection we uncover signs of severe structural defects, extensive damp, or major safety hazards, we flag this immediately.
While our primary focus is visual snagging, we can guide you on the next steps. We will advise you on how to escalate these major issues with your builder or warranty provider, and can recommend trusted partners if you require invasive destructive testing, thermal imaging, or laboratory material analysis.