New builds and warranties

Does the NHBC Buildmark policy list the snags the surveyor has just written down?

No. Buildmark is NHBC’s warranty and insurance policy. The survey is a separate report. NHBC says the builder is responsible for the first two years, and that the later years insure damage from defects in specific parts, not every snag. A scratched worktop is not automatically either. The policy wording is the list that matters, and this page does not replace it.

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?

Buyers send the survey to NHBC and wait. The first route for early defects is the builder, which is what NHBC’s own description of the initial period says. The surveyor is not NHBC’s inspector. Other warranties are not this split. If your paper is a different brand, stop using Buildmark’s years.

There is no RICS minimum claim value, and this page will not quote one. Some policies have thresholds. Read yours. Do not deduct a new roof from the price because a snagging line said “loft hatch stiff” and you hoped the warranty would rebuild the house.

What should you ask your surveyor?

Which comments are defects in the building, and which are unfinished snags?
Are you applying NHBC’s years? Only if this plot is actually Buildmark.
Did you see the policy, or only the house?

What are the typical next steps?

Report early defects to the builder in the way the policy and the contract describe.
Do not send a snagging list to an insurer and skip the builder in year one.
If the warranty is not NHBC, get that insurer’s wording.

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 10-year banner cover paint?

Do not assume it. NHBC distinguishes the builder’s period from later insurance for specific parts. Paint may be neither.

Can the surveyor start a claim for you?

No. You, or the owner, follow the policy. The survey is evidence, not a claim form.