Snagging Survey in CT15 Dover District

A snagging survey in CT15 starts from £295 for a 1-2 bedroom home. The most common new build type at Richmond Park is a 3-bedroom semi-detached or terraced (from £294,995 with Barratt, £314,995 with DWH), which falls in the £345 bracket. A 4-bedroom detached such as the Abbey Bromstone or Barratt Chester costs from £395. All prices are confirmed at booking based on your exact property.

Chalk is the dominant geology across CT15, covering everything from the White Cliffs coast at St Margarets-at-Cliffe to the dry valley villages of Alkham and Shepherdswell. Chalk is generally good load-bearing ground, but karstic dissolution, clay-with-flints pockets and seasonal groundwater from the bourne system create specific risks. Our inspectors check settlement crack patterns, drainage compliance with Dover District SuDS requirements, DPC clearance and cavity tray installation as standard on all CT15 chalk-ground new builds.

We carry out snagging inspections on all three builders currently active at Richmond Park - Barratt Homes, David Wilson Homes and Abbey New Homes. Each builder uses slightly different specifications and house types, and our inspectors are familiar with all three. We also cover any boutique or small developer schemes elsewhere in CT15, including Eythorne and St Margarets-at-Cliffe.

A 2-bedroom apartment at Abbey New Homes typically takes 1.5-2 hours. A 3-bedroom semi or terraced house takes 2-3 hours. A 4-bedroom detached such as the Barratt Chester or Abbey Bromstone takes 3-4 hours. We work methodically through every room, roof space, external elevations and garden/boundary. We allow the full time required - our priority is a complete inspection.

Groundwater flooding from the Alkham Bourne is primarily a risk for valley-bottom properties in CT15 7 - Alkham, Lydden, Church Hougham and River village. The chalk aquifer that underlies all of CT15 rises during wet winters. February 2026 Environment Agency data confirms the bourne is flowing after exceptionally high January rainfall. Richmond Park at Whitfield is on the chalk plateau and at low flood risk from groundwater. Our inspectors note drainage provisions and any at-risk features for all properties, and can flag if site drainage appears insufficient.

Yes. Snowdown Colliery in CT15 4 closed in 1987 and historic mine workings can create ground instability. The Coal Authority recommends a CON29M coal mining search for any property in the affected zone. This is a conveyancing check, not something we carry out during a snagging inspection, but we strongly advise buyers in CT15 4 near Snowdown and Eythorne to ensure their solicitor has obtained this search as part of the purchase process.

Yes - the ideal window is before you complete, but your developer remains liable for defects throughout the NHBC Buildmark warranty period. The first 2 years cover all snagging defects under the NHBC warranty scheme. Years 3-10 cover structural defects only. If you have recently moved in, a snagging inspection still gives you a formal documented list to use in correspondence with Barratt, DWH or Abbey's customer care teams. Documented defects are significantly easier to get remediated than verbal reports.

After your builder has completed remediation of the items in your snagging report, we return to verify each fix. We re-inspect every item listed in the original report - not just a spot-check. Any items not properly remediated are documented in a re-inspection report for further follow-up with your developer. The re-inspection is available from £150 for CT15 properties and is included at a discounted rate when booked alongside your original inspection.