Jim
20 Aug 2026
Here is how to make sense of it and how to use it to get results.
You have just received your snagging report. It might be several pages long, covering dozens of items across every room and external area of your new-build property. Here is how to make sense of it and how to use it to get results.
What a snagging report covers
A professional snagging report identifies defects in a new-build property at or around completion. It is not a general home survey. It is a focused assessment of whether the property has been built to the agreed specification and current building standards.
Reports typically cover external fabric (roof, guttering, windows, doors, external walls), internal structure (walls, ceilings, floors, staircase), kitchen and bathroom fit-out, electrical installation, plumbing and heating, and decorative finish. Items are described individually with location and a description of the defect. Many reports also include photographs.
How snagging reports are structured
Most professional snagging reports are organised room by room or area by area. Read through the whole report before doing anything else. You will start to get a sense of which items are straightforward to rectify and which might require more significant work. Some reports use a grading system. Others list items without a formal classification. Either way, read it in full before you act.
Raising defects with your developer
The most important step is to raise defects formally, in writing, as soon as possible. Do not rely on a conversation or a walkthrough with the site manager. Verbal agreements are difficult to enforce and easy to deny. What you need is a written record.
Send a formal letter or email to the developer - not just a site contact, but the company itself - attaching the snagging report and requesting that each identified defect be rectified within a reasonable timescale. Keep a copy of everything you send and receive.
Most developers will respond and begin addressing items. Where they push back on specific defects, ask them to explain in writing why they consider the item to be within acceptable tolerance. This creates a paper trail if matters escalate.
The defects liability period
Most new-build properties come with a defects liability period, typically two years from legal completion. During this time, the developer is obligated to rectify genuine defects at no cost to you.
This period is finite. Defects identified and raised during it are the developer's responsibility to fix. Defects raised after it expires are a different and harder conversation. Getting a snagging inspection done promptly, ideally before completion or in the first weeks after moving in, maximises the time available to work through the report.
What to do if the developer is unresponsive
If you have raised defects formally and are not receiving a satisfactory response, there are routes available.
First, escalate within the developer's own organisation. Write to a director or senior contact rather than a site representative.
Second, if the property has a structural warranty, contact your warranty provider. Depending on the nature and timing of the defect, they may have a resolution process or be in a position to apply pressure on your behalf.
Third, if the matter cannot be resolved directly, you may want to take legal advice from a solicitor with experience in property disputes. A well-documented snagging report, combined with a clear written record of your correspondence, puts you in a significantly stronger position than a buyer who raised concerns verbally.
A note on using the report independently
A snagging report produced by a professional inspector gives you something you cannot easily produce yourself: independence and credibility. Developers are more likely to take a professionally produced report seriously than a list compiled by the buyer.
CertiBuild's team includes Registered Building Inspectors under the Building Safety Act 2022. When they produce a snagging report, they do so with technical knowledge that extends beyond visible defects, covering building standards, workmanship, and specification compliance.
Getting the timing right
The ideal time to have a snagging inspection carried out is before legal completion, if access is available. This gives you the opportunity to raise defects before the property is formally handed over.
If access before completion is not available, the next best option is as soon as possible after you move in, within the first few weeks at most.
Do not wait. The defects liability period starts from the day you complete.
Book a CertiBuild snagging inspection at certibuild.co.uk