THE CONFUSION / NEW BUILD VS RESALE
Snagging survey
or home survey?
Two inspections, two kinds of property, two different questions. Getting this one wrong wastes your money on the wrong report entirely — here’s how to tell which one you actually need.
Buying an older property? Start here instead →THE ANSWER / READ THIS FIRST
New build gets snagged. Everything else gets surveyed.
A snagging survey checks a brand-new home against what the developer promised — finishing faults, fittings, minor defects, usually inspected around legal completion. A home survey checks an existing building’s actual condition against the RICS Home Survey Standard. The property decides which one applies; it is very rarely both.
01 / WHAT A SNAGGING LIST TYPICALLY COVERS
Finishing, fittings, and faults — not structure.
- 01Decorating and finishing defects — paintwork, plaster, sealant, tiling
- 02Doors, windows and ironmongery that don’t open, close or lock properly
- 03Fittings and fixtures not installed to spec or damaged in the build
- 04Drainage, guttering and external finishing around the new structure
- 05Anything promised in the sales specification that hasn’t been delivered
02 / THE WARRANTY GAP THIS FILLS
NHBC covers structure.
It doesn’t cover the small stuff.
New-build warranties are generally strong on structural defects for years two through ten, but the finishing and fittings issues that show up in the first weeks — the things a snagging list catches — sit inside a much shorter initial defects period, usually the first one to two years, and often need reporting quickly to get the developer to act. That timing is exactly why snagging inspections happen close to completion, not months later.
03 / WHY A HOME SURVEY IS THE WRONG TOOL HERE
Different building,
different question.
A Level 2 or Level 3 home survey is built to assess condition that has accumulated over years — roof ageing, damp patterns, movement, deferred maintenance. On a property that’s a few months old, most of that simply hasn’t had time to happen yet. Ordering a home survey on a new-build gets you a report confirming the obvious: it’s new. A snagging inspection asks the question that actually matters at that stage — was it built and finished properly.
04 / IF YOU’RE BUYING EXISTING, NOT NEW
SurveyChoice covers Level 2 and Level 3 home surveys — not new-build snagging.
If the property you’re buying has been lived in before, a snagging list isn’t the right report — a home survey is. SurveyChoice matches you with a named, RICS-qualified regional surveyor for exactly that. Not sure which level you need? →
STRAIGHT ANSWERS
Before you ask.
01What is a snagging survey?+
An inspection of a new-build home, carried out close to legal completion or shortly after moving in, that lists defects — 'snags' — against what the developer promised: finishing faults, fittings, minor damage, and things that don't yet work as they should. It checks workmanship on a brand-new building, not the condition of an older one.
02How is a snagging survey different from a Level 2 or Level 3 home survey?+
A home survey (Level 2 or Level 3) assesses the condition of an existing building — structure, damp, roof age, defects that accumulate over years — against the RICS Home Survey Standard. A snagging survey checks a new building against the developer's own specification and NHBC-style standards. Different property, different question, different standard.
03Do I need a snagging survey if I'm buying a new-build?+
It's widely recommended, since new-build warranties (NHBC and similar) typically only cover structural defects for years two to ten, while snagging issues — poor finishing, faulty fittings, unsealed joints — need reporting in the first weeks or months to get the developer to fix them under the initial defects period.
04Do I need a snagging survey if I'm buying an older or resale house?+
No — a snagging survey isn't the right tool for a resale property. What you need is a Level 2 or Level 3 home survey, which assesses the building's actual condition rather than checking new-build finishing against a spec sheet.
05Does SurveyChoice offer snagging surveys?+
No — SurveyChoice surveyors deliver RICS Home Survey Standard Level 2 and Level 3 reports for existing, previously-occupied properties. If you're buying new-build and need a snagging inspection, look for a specialist new-build snagging inspector instead.