New builds and warranties
What is the difference between a snagging list and a RICS home survey on a new build?
A snagging list records incomplete or poorly finished items for the builder to put right, such as gaps, damage and sticking doors. A RICS home survey is a condition report on the building, with ratings and advice, and it is not a substitute for the warranty. NHBC describes Buildmark as a 10-year warranty and insurance product. Neither document is the other.
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?
A new house can be conventional enough for a Level 2, or unfinished enough that you want a snagging inspector who will be blunt about decoration. Serious issues, such as structure or drainage, belong in a proper survey and with the warranty body. A list of scuffed paint does not describe the foundations. A Level 2 may not list every scuff.
Decide what you need. If you want both, they are two instructions and two fees. RICS’s consumer guide describes survey fees only in broad terms. Your quote is the firm’s letter. The warranty is the NHBC or other provider’s policy, which you should read for what is covered in which years. We will not invent a year-by-year schedule the policy must speak for itself.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Is this instruction a snagging list, a Level 2, or a Level 3?
- Which items are condition ratings rather than unfinished decoration?
- What should I send the warranty provider rather than the decorator?
What are the typical next steps?
- Read the warranty. Do not assume it covers paint.
- If you want snagging, hire it as snagging and give the list to the builder while you still have leverage. Ask your solicitor about that timing.
- If the structure worries you, do not rely on a snagging company that only looks at finishes.
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 warranty inspection replace a survey you pay for?
No. The warranty inspection is for the warranty. Your survey is for you. They can both exist.
Can you snag a house before it is finished?
You can only list what is there. A second look near completion is common. Ask the solicitor when your contract expects you to accept the property.