Guide
Snagging a new-build home: inspection, complaints and the ombudsman
Short answer
If your builder is on the New Homes Quality Board register, you can inspect the home before completion. The builder must give at least two years of after-sales service. It should settle most snags within 30 days. If a complaint is still open after 56 days, you can take it to the New Homes Ombudsman Service.
Check that your builder is registered
The New Homes Quality Code protects you only if the builder is a registered developer, and you reserved after it joined. Search the Register of Developers on the New Homes Quality Board website.
Version 2 of the Code applies to homes reserved from 2 March 2026. Version 1 applies to homes reserved before that date.
Inspect before you complete
The builder must let you, or a qualified inspector you appoint, inspect the home before completion. The inspection takes place after the notice to complete, unless you both agree an earlier date.
The inspection must use the board’s standard pre-completion checklist. The Code says inspect inside walls in daylight from at least 2 metres, without a torch on the surface. If the inspection finds a breach of the warranty standards, the builder should fix it before completion, or within 30 days.
Report snags to the builder first
A snag is a finishing fault, such as a sticking door or a cracked tile. Report each one to the builder’s after-sales service as soon as you find it.
The Code says the builder must acknowledge snags quickly and settle most within 30 days. If there is a delay, it must explain why and update you at least once a month.
Report a snag before a handyman or anyone else touches it. Then there is a clear record that the fault was there.
- Doors and windows that stick, drop or do not lock.
- Cracked tiles, gaps in sealant and loose skirting.
- Paint runs, marks and patchy finishes.
- Taps, toilets or radiators that leak.
- Missing or loose fittings.
If you need to complain
If the after-sales service does not put things right, make a formal complaint. The Code sets these deadlines from the complaint start date.
- Within 5 days: a written acknowledgement.
- Within 10 days: a path to resolution letter.
- Within 30 days: a complaint assessment and response letter.
- Within 56 days: an eight-week letter, if the complaint is still open.
The New Homes Ombudsman Service
You can refer a complaint to the New Homes Ombudsman Service 56 days after the complaint start date. The complaint must have arisen within two years of completion.
The Code gives you two years from reservation or completion, whichever is later, to complain and refer it. Do not wait: the Code says to refer as soon as you can.
Jobs that are yours to do
The builder must give you clear guidance on normal maintenance, which is your job. Small upgrades, such as shelves, curtain poles and a TV bracket, are not snags.
A handyman can do those jobs. Ask the firm to find pipes and cables before it drills.
Questions
How long does a builder have to fix snags?
Under the New Homes Quality Code, a registered builder should settle most after-sales issues within 30 days, unless there is a significant reason for delay. It must then update you at least monthly.
Can I hire my own snagging inspector?
Yes. The Code says the builder must let you, or a suitably qualified inspector you appoint, carry out a pre-completion inspection using the standard checklist.
When can I go to the New Homes Ombudsman?
After 56 days from the start of your complaint, if it arose within two years of completion. Your builder must be a registered developer, and you must have reserved after it joined.