New builds and warranties
What should you ask the builder about defects in the early years of a warranty?
Ask who you must tell, by when, and what they will repair. NHBC describes a 10-year product, and the early years are often when the builder, not the insurer, is the first place to report defects. The policy, not this page, sets that split. Read it before you assume a year number.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Keep the survey or snagging list as the description of what was wrong at the start. Report in writing. Photograph. Give the developer a fair chance if the policy says they must have one. Escalating to the warranty body has a procedure. Skipping it can harm a claim. The solicitor can read the procedure with you if it is tangled.
A defect that is really a design problem, such as a balcony that ponds into the cladding, is more than a snag. The surveyor should have rated it according to what they saw. The warranty may send its own inspector. Cooperate, and do not “improve” the evidence by attempting a repair that the insurer then says caused the damage.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which items are unfinished work, and which look like defects that could return?
- What wording should I use so I do not overstate what you saw?
- What should I not repair myself before the builder has visited?
What are the typical next steps?
- Read the policy’s reporting lines and follow them.
- Write to the builder with the list. Keep the reply.
- If they do not act, use the warranty’s next step rather than a social-media complaint as your only record.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Does a rating 3 guarantee a warranty payout?
No. The policy has exclusions and procedures. The rating is the surveyor’s view of seriousness. Both can be true and still not be the same decision.
Should you withhold the last payment?
Only if the contract allows it. Ask the solicitor. The survey does not create a retention by itself.