New builds and warranties

What should you ask when the builder is still working on the plot during the survey?

Ask the surveyor to separate finished elements from work in progress, and ask the solicitor what the contract requires before completion. A home survey cannot rate a kitchen that is still in boxes, and it should not pretend the plot is the show home. NHBC’s early period assumes a builder who is responsible for defects. It does not finish the house for you.

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?

Dust, missing seals, unconnected pipes and a garden that is still mud are completion items. A crack in a completed wall or a roof that is already leaking is a defect to describe now. RICS reports should make that distinction. Building-control certificates, if not yet issued, are the solicitor’s paper. The survey does not sign them.

Do not pay for a “full” picture of a house that is half built and then complain the report missed the unfinished half. Either wait, or accept a limited report and revisit. There is no RICS rule that the fee includes a second visit. Ask. Do not walk the site without the builder’s permission.

What should you ask your surveyor?

What was finished, and what was still being built?
Which services were not connected?
Are you limiting the report because of that?

What are the typical next steps?

Tie the unfinished list to the contract, not only to the survey.
Book a repeat look if you need the finished rooms inspected.
Do not compare this plot with the show home.

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

Can you snag a room that has no door yet?

You can note that the door is missing. You cannot rate the door. Say which you are doing.

Does the warranty start while they are still plastering?

The policy says when cover starts. This page does not. Read the schedule.