New builds and warranties
The new loft hatch has no catch and the insulation around it is complete. What of the hatch is unfinished, and what of the insulation was not the snag?
The unfinished part is the hatch, which has no catch, and the insulation was not the snag. The new loft hatch does not fasten, while the insulation around it is complete, so the quilt is present. A hatch without a catch is an incomplete fitting. Complete insulation is what was still seen and must not be written up as missing. The survey has kept the two apart. NHBC describes Buildmark as a 10-year warranty and insurance product. The survey does not open a claim.
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?
Snagging lists unfinished or damaged handover items. It is not a structural survey and it is not a warranty claim. A missing catch is the sort of fitting a developer is asked to supply. Insulation already complete around the hatch is the opposite of a snag: it is work that could be seen in place. Mixing the two would let someone talk about the quilt and never fit the catch. The report has not called the loft unsafe. It has said the hatch has no catch.
Put the missing catch on the developer's list, and keep the insulation off that list. Ask the solicitor how Buildmark relates to an unfinished fitting. NHBC describes Buildmark as a 10-year warranty and insurance product. The survey does not open a claim. Do not sign the hatch off because the insulation looks complete. The catch is a small piece of ironmongery. It is still the part of the hatch that is unfinished.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Is the missing catch the unfinished part of the hatch?
- Was the insulation around the hatch complete, and therefore not the snag?
- Has the survey left any Buildmark claim unopened?
What are the typical next steps?
- List the missing catch as the unfinished hatch item.
- Leave the completed insulation off the snag.
- Do not treat the report as the opening of a Buildmark claim.
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
If the hatch sits shut by its own weight, is the catch unnecessary?
No. Sitting shut is not a catch. The hatch has no catch, which is the unfinished part, and the insulation around it was complete, so the quilt is not the snag. A lid that happens to rest in place can still be lifted by a draught or a user. The survey has not accepted weight as a fastening.
Does complete insulation mean the loft passed?
No. Complete insulation answers only the insulation half of the note. It was not the snag. The hatch is unfinished because it has no catch. NHBC describes Buildmark as a 10-year warranty and insurance product. The survey does not open a claim, and a continuous quilt does not finish the ironmongery.