A snagging inspection is a room-by-room walk through a property to find and record defects, and on the day it follows a fairly predictable rhythm from arrival to a written list of what needs fixing.
What a snagging inspection actually is
A snagging inspection is a systematic check of a property, usually a new build, room by room and system by system, to catch defects before or shortly after you move in. It can be carried out by the homeowner, a friend with a good eye, or a professional snagging surveyor. The output is a list, ideally grouped by room and by trade, that you can hand to the developer or contractor.
Under the New Homes Quality Code Version 2, March 2026, buyers of qualifying new homes have a right to a pre-completion inspection. You can appoint a professional from a recognised body such as CABE, CIOB, ICWCI, RICS or RPSA with professional indemnity insurance, or carry out the inspection yourself using the NHQB checklist.
Before the visit: an hour of prep
Most of the groundwork happens before anyone sets foot on site.
- 1Gather any plans, spec sheets or the developer’s snagging form if one was provided
- 2Charge a phone or camera and check you have enough storage for photos
- 3Bring a torch, a spirit level if you have one, and a step stool for reaching sills and gutters
- 4Note any rooms or areas the seller or agent has flagged as recently worked on
- 5Decide whether you are inspecting alone or bringing in a professional, since a professional snagging survey typically costs £300 to £600 depending on property size
Hour by hour on the day
Timings vary with property size, but a typical two to three bedroom house follows a rhythm like this.
- Hour 1, exterior: roof line, gutters, downpipes, brickwork, render, pointing, external doors and windows, driveway and paths, boundary fences
- Hour 2, ground floor: walls, ceilings, floors, skirting, doors, sockets, kitchen units and worktops, plumbing under sinks, taps run and checked for leaks
- Hour 3, first floor and loft: bedrooms, bathrooms, sealant around baths and showers, loft insulation and access, window operation, radiators
- Hour 4, services and finishing: consumer unit, extractor fans, boiler and controls, smoke and heat alarms tested, final walk to cross-check against the room list
Each defect gets photographed close up and from a distance so the location is obvious, then noted with a short description of what is wrong and where. Apps built for this, including SayScope, let you circle the defect on the photo and record a voice note on the spot, which speeds up the write-up later without changing what you are actually checking on site.
After the visit: turning notes into a report
The inspection itself is only half the job. The photos and notes then need organising into something the developer or contractor can act on.
- Group items by room, then by trade, so a plasterer’s list is separate from an electrician’s
- Include a photo, a short description and the location for every item
- Keep a copy for yourself before sending anything on
Doing it yourself versus a professional
A homeowner walking their own property can catch a great deal, especially cosmetic and finishing issues. A professional brings training in spotting structural or safety-related defects that are easy to miss, and typically costs £300 to £600 depending on property size. Neither approach guarantees every defect is found, and neither guarantees how quickly anything gets fixed once reported.
If you are inspecting more than one property, or need to send a second report on the same job within a week, a paid plan on SayScope lifts the weekly report limit and the job cap. A single free report still carries up to 10 jobs, which is enough for many smaller snags but not always for a full house.