Surface damage in new build properties is extremely common — and often contentious. Chips in baths, scratched kitchen worktops, damaged tiles, UPVC scuffs and cracked shower trays are among the most frequently reported snagging issues in newly completed homes. Understanding your rights, the difference between snagging and latent defects, and when to use professional surface repair rather than waiting for developer remediation can save significant time and frustration.
What Is a Snagging Defect?
Snagging refers to minor defects and incomplete work identified at or shortly after completion of a new build property. The vast majority of new homes are delivered with a snagging list — items the developer or builder is expected to rectify within a reasonable period, typically within the first two years covered by the NHBC Buildmark warranty or equivalent structural warranty. Surface damage — chips, scratches, marks — is a standard category of snagging defect.
Developer Responsibility for Surface Damage
The legal position is straightforward: the developer is responsible for delivering a property that meets the contracted specification and is fit for purpose. Surface damage present at the point of legal completion — a chipped bath, a scratched worktop, a damaged tile — is the developer’s responsibility to remedy. You should document all damage photographically at your pre-completion inspection and on the day you collect keys, note all issues in writing to the developer within 7 days of completion, and chase for remediation in writing.
When Developers Use Surface Repair
Most major housebuilders use professional surface repair companies to address snagging defects rather than replacing damaged items — replacing a chipped bath, for example, involves significant additional cost and disruption compared to a same-day professional chip repair. This is entirely acceptable practice provided the repair is carried out to a professional standard. If you believe a developer’s repair is substandard, document it and request remediation in writing.
When to Arrange Your Own Repair Instead of Waiting
Waiting for developer remediation can take months, particularly if the developer is completing multiple phases and has a large snagging backlog. Many buyers choose to arrange independent professional surface repair for minor issues — particularly where they want the property ready for occupation quickly — and seek to recover the cost from the developer. This approach requires careful documentation: obtain a quote, communicate with the developer in writing giving them a reasonable deadline to remedy, and if they fail to act, arrange the repair and seek reimbursement of the reasonable cost.
New Build Surface Damage After Move-In
Damage that occurs after you move in is your responsibility, not the developer’s — though the boundary can be contested where defects become apparent only after occupation (latent defects). The two-year warranty period under NHBC Buildmark covers defects that result from non-compliance with NHBC standards — including some surface failures that result from underlying installation problems rather than post-completion damage.
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