New builds and warranties
You want this inspection to open a Buildmark claim. Why is that something the visit cannot do?
The visit cannot open a Buildmark claim because a claim is not an inspection. NHBC describes Buildmark as a 10-year warranty and insurance product, and this survey does not lodge a claim, pick a policy stage or decide that a defect is covered. The visit records what it could see of the house. Starting a claim is a separate step with the warranty provider, using their forms and the policy papers. Asking the surveyor to open the claim asks for a job the inspection was never instructed to do.
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 home survey and a warranty claim answer different questions. The survey describes condition: cracks, damp, incomplete finishes, or items that need a closer look. The claim asks whether that item falls inside a policy, on what evidence, and who should put it right. Those are decisions for the warranty provider once a claim is actually made. This report does not name a year of cover and does not sort defects into warranty stages. It stops at what was seen.
If you want a claim considered, contact the warranty provider with the policy documents and a clear description of the defect, and let your solicitor hold those papers. You may attach the survey as background, but the survey itself has not started the claim and will not chase it. Do not tell a lender that cover has been accepted because a surveyor visited. The inspection can stay in the file as a condition note only.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Has this visit lodged a Buildmark claim or only recorded condition?
- Did the survey sort any defect into a year of warranty cover?
- Are the policy documents being kept separate from the inspection?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the visit as a condition record, not as an opened claim.
- Send any claim to the warranty provider with the policy papers.
- Do not tell a lender that cover was accepted on this visit.
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 a snagging list be sent as if it were the claim?
A snagging list is still only a list of items seen. It does not open Buildmark cover and it does not decide that NHBC, or the builder, must act. NHBC describes Buildmark as a 10-year warranty and insurance product. The survey does not open a claim. Use the list as a description if you later contact the provider yourself.
Does a new plot automatically sit inside a claim because it is new?
No. Newness is not a claim, and the survey has not checked that a policy even exists on this plot. Cover depends on the warranty papers, not on the age of the render or the fact of a visit. Ask your solicitor for the warranty documents. Keep them apart from this inspection, which has not accepted or rejected any item.