New builds and warranties
What is the difference between a snag at handover and a defect that shows later?
A snag is something incomplete or unsatisfactory that you can see around handover, such as a badly fitted door. A later defect is damage or a failure that appears after you have moved in. NHBC’s Buildmark puts the builder on the hook in the early years and insures certain later damage. A home survey on day one cannot list the crack that has not happened.
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?
The survey and the snagging list are about now. The warranty is about what the policy covers later. They are not a promise that the house will stay as the show home looked. RICS ratings, if you have them, are today’s condition. They do not start the 10-year clock. The policy does, on the terms written in it. This page does not invent the start date.
Keep handover photos. A later claim needs them more than a recoloured memory. There is no RICS price for a return visit next year unless you agree one. Do not assume a hairline in the plaster in year three is the same item as a missing hinge on day one.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which items are incomplete today?
- Which items are you not able to see because the plot is unfinished?
- Are you commenting on a warranty claim? You should not start one.
What are the typical next steps?
- Record snags now, in writing, to the builder.
- Keep the survey and the photos for anything that appears later.
- Read the policy before you call a later crack “covered”.
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 crack after completion cancel the survey?
No. The survey was that day. The crack is new information. Tell the builder or the warranty holder as the policy requires.
Is shrinkage a defect?
New homes move a little as they dry. The survey should not call every hairline subsidence. A wide or worsening crack is a different comment.