Top 7 issues we find as a snagging company

Snagging a new build house is a specialist process and we know what to look for. Here we share our most common more 'major' issues... note that all the following examples are taken from inspections carried out in the past couple of days...

#7 - Cracks

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.

#6 - Roof issues

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.

#5 - Fenestration

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).

#4 - Walls and ceilings not being level

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:

#3 - Leaks

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.

#2 - Lack of insulation

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!)

#1 - Heating

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.