As a professional snagging company, we often find external cracking to brickwork or rendered houses, or we find a lack of preparation to prevent it (as shown below).
Internally most cracks are a cause of shrinkage, but there are tolerances that we check for with our measure ruler gauge.

Most of the claims submitted through the NHBC are regarding roofs, so it is not surprise that we often find issues with verges, roof tiles, chimney stacks and guttering (as shown below on a snagging inspection carried out this week). We use a special camera to assist us to inspect areas out of normal view.

Windows frames and glass can often be scratched (including patio windows), but they can also be installed incorrectly. When snagging it is important to check the glazing bars are correctly level / straight. It is also important that any damage is recorded quickly to avoid the developer refusing liability (as they may say it was caused during cleaning, moving furniture in post-completion).

We use levels to check walls and ceiling levels. Like most issues, there are tolerances associated to such snagging issues. An example from a snagging survey carried out today is shown below:

On average we find at least 1 leak in a house 50% of the time we carry out a snagging inspection. This is because we spend the extra time to check overflows on baths and sinks.
Unfortunately often clients find out too late, until the water comes through the ceiling.

Whether in the loft or cavity walls, we often find a lack of insulation which needs identifying at the earliest possible stage to prevent heat loss (and more expensive heating bills!)

When our snaggers inspect the heating, we use thermal cameras to identify radiators under-performing or incorrect installations. This is our most common 'major' issue because the remedy can be often extremely destructive... As highlighted on a previous blog, the ceilings can often be pulled down to find the cross pipe location when thermostats are linked up with the wrong level.

Today we discovered another heating installation issue. The upstairs and downstairs thermostat were incorrectly connected. To rectify this is typically a huge job requiring pulling apart ceilings to find where the cross connection is located. 
On a new build snagging inspection we find such issues more commonly that you'd think. This week alone we found two houses with exactly the same issue. 

As a new building snagging company, we pride ourselves on having the gear (as well as the idea!) of how to snag a house. The reason we can confidently say we are the market leading snagging company is that competitors typically either (a) walk around with no tools and only produce a dictated then typed report or (b)  attempt to copy what we do!! 
Conversely, our professional snagging inspectors carry specialist tools ranging from borescopes to thermal cameras. This goes to show our process is not similar to the process any site will go to when snagging a house. Our inspectors are employed (not subcontracted) with many years experience in the building industry: Our qualifications range from a Masters Degree in Building Surveying, Domestic Energy Assessor certified by the BBA and an Advanced Certificate in Building Thermography.
Whilst some other snagging companies may charge less than us, it prompts the question are you getting the same value for money?