What is a pre-completion inspection?
It is a visit to the finished home after the builder has served the notice to complete, and before the completion date. Under the New Homes Quality Code, the builder must give you the chance to inspect yourself or to send a suitably qualified inspector. The point is to catch what is visibly wrong while the builder still has the keys.
The inspection should be non-invasive. That means checking things the way you would use them day to day: turning on taps, opening doors, switching on the extractor fan. It does not mean lifting floorboards or taking panels off.
The Code has two versions. Version 2 applies if you reserved on or after 2 March 2026; version 1 if you reserved before. Both give you the inspection. They differ on timing, below.
When does the inspection happen?
It happens after the notice to complete is served and before you complete, or earlier if you and the builder both agree. On version 1 of the Code it falls within the five days after the notice to complete.
The notice period itself is usually expected to be at least 14 calendar days, partly so there is time for the inspection. The inspection isn't meant to delay completion. The builder still has to deal with what you find.
If your builder isn't signed up to the Quality Code, it may be under the Consumer Code for Home Builders instead. That code says the builder must offer you, or your adviser, a pre-completion inspection in writing. The visit should be at least 14 calendar days before completion, unless agreed otherwise.
What should be on the NHQB pre-completion checklist?
The official checklist covers the inside first, then the outside. Inside, it goes through walls and ceilings, floors, the loft, windows, joinery, doors, fitted cupboards, tiles, bathrooms, heating, electrics and appliances. Outside, it covers brickwork, the roof, gutters, paths and drive, drains, the garden and boundaries.
It also sets how to look. Walls, ceilings and paint are judged in daylight from at least 2m, without shining a light on them. Cupboards and kitchen units are judged from 0.5m. Brickwork is judged from at least 10m. The NHQB says marks you can only see under particular lighting, or from certain angles, aren't snags.
You can use a spirit level, tape measure or similar to confirm something you can already see. The tools are for measuring, not for hunting for problems.
A trick we used we walked the whole house once without writing anything, just to get our bearings. Then we went round again, room by room, with the checklist.
Can I bring a professional to the inspection?
Yes. You can appoint an inspector to do it for you. Under version 2 of the Code they must belong to a recognised professional body for residential surveying, hold professional indemnity insurance, work only within their competence, and use the standard checklist.
The builder can recommend inspectors, but not with an incentive attached, and you are free to choose your own.
If you do it yourself, the builder must tell you the checklist was designed for professionals, so you may miss things or read the standards differently. That is fair. A professional knows the tolerances by heart; we had to look them up as we went. What a snagging survey costs is on the snagging checklist page.
How long do you have to report snags?
Report what you find at the inspection on the day, in writing. After completion, cosmetic damage is the urgent part. NHBC's Buildmark policy doesn't cover cosmetic damage, such as scratched glass or chipped baths, reported to the builder more than seven days after completion. NHBC's guide explains why: later on, it may be impossible to prove who caused a scratch. Other warranty providers set their own terms, so check your policy.
Everything else can still be reported during the builder's two-year period. That is covered on the two-year warranty page.
What happens to the list after completion?
Under the Quality Code, if the inspection finds things that breach the warranty standards, the builder must fix them, ideally before completion, or within 30 days if that isn't possible.
At completion the builder must also give you its own final quality check and a Schedule of Incomplete Work, with timescales for finishing it and fixing defects. Keep both with your inspection list and photos. Together they are the starting record for everything that follows.
Is it the same as a snagging survey?
Not quite. The pre-completion inspection happens before you own the home and uses the official checklist. A snagging survey is usually booked after you move in. The HomeOwners Alliance points out the inspection is limited: it uses a set checklist, the time in the house may be short, and you may not be allowed to go round with your inspector. It advises a snagging survey after you move in as well.