Snagging Survey in Shirley, Solihull

Snagging surveys in Shirley start from £295 for smaller properties. For the three and four-bedroom homes typical of Lucas Green and similar developments in Shirley, prices typically range from £349 to £399. The UK national average for a snagging survey is around £377. Given that new builds on Stratford Road are priced from £410,000 upwards, a snagging survey represents less than 0.1% of your purchase price but can save thousands in remediation costs.

Our inspectors cover all new-build developments in and around Shirley, including Lucas Green (Bellway, Ashberry Homes, David Wilson Homes) on Stratford Road, Bower Lodge and Wheatley Place retirement schemes, and any new Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey or other housebuilder developments as they come to market. We work across the full B90 postcode district and can also cover nearby areas in Solihull, Hall Green, Blythe Valley and Dickens Heath.

A standard three-bedroom new-build in Shirley typically takes 2.5 to 3.5 hours on-site. Larger four or five-bedroom homes may take up to 4-5 hours. Our inspectors work systematically through every room, including loft access where possible, and inspect external areas such as brickwork, drainage, and any garden or driveway finishes. You receive your written report with photographs within 24 hours of the inspection.

You can book a snagging survey at any point within two years of your completion date. Ideally, have the inspection carried out as soon as you have access to your keys - even before you move in. Getting the survey done early gives you maximum time to negotiate with the developer and get snags resolved before the two-year warranty period closes. Some buyers also commission a pre-completion inspection before exchanging contracts, which can identify major issues at an earlier stage.

Your written snagging report constitutes formal evidence of defects within the warranty period. If your developer (Bellway, David Wilson Homes, or another builder) does not respond adequately, you can escalate through the NHBC resolution service, the New Homes Ombudsman, or the Consumer Code for Housebuilders. Having a professionally prepared report with photographic evidence significantly strengthens your case at each stage. Our reports are formatted to be submitted directly to developers and, if necessary, ombudsman services.

Yes. Our inspectors carry thermal imaging cameras as standard equipment. In West Midlands new builds, thermal imaging is particularly useful for identifying cold bridging at wall-floor junctions and around window reveals - an issue that can cause heat loss and eventual damp problems. These faults rarely produce visible symptoms within the first year but can cause significant ongoing energy costs and moisture damage if not addressed. Thermal imaging allows us to flag these issues while the developer is still responsible for correcting them.

Industry data shows the average new-build home in the UK has over 150 individual snags - compared to around 80 in 2005, reflecting increasing build volumes and quality pressures. The Home Builders Federation's 2025 customer satisfaction survey found that 93.7% of new-build buyers reported problems with their home. For a large development like Lucas Green, which is delivering hundreds of homes in Shirley, the volume of work means snags are almost universal. Professional inspectors find significantly more issues than buyers discover on their own - typically 100-150+ items versus 10-30 found by untrained eyes.

Absolutely. Bellway (and its sister brand Ashberry Homes) are among the most active housebuilders in Shirley at present, with multiple plot types across the Lucas Green development. While Bellway holds 5-star HBF builder status, national investigations in 2024 highlighted issues at Bellway sites including flooding problems, condemned boilers and unfinished works. Independent snagging surveys are just as important for 5-star builders as for any other developer - the HBF rating reflects customer satisfaction scores, not an absence of defects.