Snagging Survey Edinburgh EH5

Snagging surveys for EH5 apartments start from £249 and range to approximately £395 for a standard one to three bedroom flat depending on provider and property size. Houses start from around £299 and range to £550 for larger properties. Edinburgh prices are broadly similar to or below the UK national average of £377 (Compare My Move 2025). Re-inspections to confirm that repairs have been completed cost from £99 for apartments.

Yes - particularly so. The Granton Waterfront is an unprecedented scale of construction for EH5, delivering net-zero homes with air source heat pumps, high-specification insulation, and triple glazing. Each of these elements requires correct installation and commissioning. Scotland's New Build Heat Standard, which applies to all Granton Waterfront homes, mandates zero direct emissions heating - but the standard only specifies what type of heating system must be installed, not the quality of the installation. A defective heat pump or poorly commissioned heating circuit is exactly the kind of issue that a snagging inspector will identify before you accept the property.

The most commonly reported defect categories on Scottish new builds are decorating and plasterwork issues, joinery defects (doors not latching, skirting gaps), and services failures. On net-zero homes specifically, heat pump commissioning errors and insulation gaps are an emerging category. According to the Home Builders Federation March 2025 buyer survey, 93.7% of new build buyers reported snags to their developer, with 26.2% reporting more than 15. Professional inspectors typically find 130 to 200 defects on properties where the homeowner had identified 10 to 30.

Yes. The Western Harbour and Newhaven waterfront developments are covered by our EH5 service area. These properties - including the 118 CCG-built flats at Western Harbour purchased by Edinburgh Council in February 2026 - are standard new build apartments eligible for independent inspection. If you are buying privately at Western Harbour rather than through a social housing allocation, you have the same rights under the New Homes Quality Code as any other new build buyer.

From April 2024, all new build homes in Scotland must use zero direct emissions heating - in practice, this means air source heat pumps. This is a significant change from gas-boiler-era new builds. ASHPs must be correctly sized for the property's heat load, the pipework must meet specific flow temperature specifications, and the system must be properly commissioned. Defects in ASHP installation are less visible than a dripping pipe - they typically manifest as inadequate heating, unusually high running costs, or condensation. Our inspectors check ASHP installations as a standard component of every EH5 snagging survey.

Book before legal completion - ideally 7 to 14 days in advance. This allows time to receive the report and submit it to the developer before keys change hands. Many EH5 buyers also commission a second inspection at the 11-month point, just before the initial 12-month developer warranty expires, to document any defects that have emerged since completion. This is particularly relevant for Granton Waterfront homes given the high-performance specification that needs time to perform through Edinburgh's winter heating season.

Yes. Whether the developer is a private housebuilder like Cruden Homes, Edinburgh City Council acting as master developer on Granton Waterfront, or any other body, the New Homes Quality Code obligations apply. If your Granton Waterfront or Western Harbour home has documented defects in your snagging report, the responsible developer or housing association is required to produce a remediation plan. The report serves as formal documented evidence if you need to escalate to the New Homes Ombudsman Service.

A snagging survey is specifically for new build properties - it documents defects in recently completed construction before legal handover. For Trinity's older Victorian and Edwardian housing stock, the appropriate survey is a RICS Level 2 HomeBuyer Report or RICS Level 3 Building Survey, which assess the condition of an existing property including structural elements, dampness, and ongoing maintenance requirements. The RICS Level 3 survey is recommended for pre-1919 stone-built properties, which describes most of Trinity's housing.