157 defects found on average in London new builds - catch them while your developer is still liable
London delivers around 28,000 new homes each year across some of the UK's most complex development sites - from Berkeley Group's high-rise towers in Nine Elms and Canary Wharf to Barratt London's suburban estates in Harrow and Hayes. Industry data records an average of 157 defects per new build property, up from 80 in 2005. Our inspectors cover developments across all 32 London boroughs, delivering detailed photographic reports within 48 hours so you can hold your developer to account before the warranty clock runs down.
With the average London sold price at £656,619, a snagging survey starting from £295 is among the highest-value due diligence steps a new build buyer can take. Defects fixed by the developer under the two-year warranty cost you nothing. Defects discovered after the warranty has expired - or after your developer has dissolved the site SPV - become entirely your problem.
£656,619
Average Sold Price
Rightmove 12-month average
3.8 million
Total Households
ONS 2021 Census
28,576/year
New Homes Completed
Latest annual London figure
157
Avg Defects Per New Build
BuildScan 2024 industry data
Source: ONS Census 2021 housing data. London has the highest proportion of flats of any English region - 55.9% of all dwellings. England overall average is 22.4% flats.
New build activity is concentrated in a handful of London regeneration corridors that are generating thousands of homes per year. Nine Elms in Vauxhall (SW8) is home to Battersea Power Station Phase 3, DAMAC Tower Nine Elms, One Thames City and Nine Elms Parkside (894 homes on the former Royal Mail depot). Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs (E14) are seeing South Quay Plaza's 68-storey tower and the ongoing Wood Wharf scheme planned for 3,600 homes.
In east London, Royal Docks (E16) is seeing the final phase of Royal Albert Wharf and the wider Royal Albert Dock regeneration. North London's major schemes include Meridian One in Enfield (N18), the first phase of a £6 billion regeneration delivering 977 homes, and Eastman Village in Harrow - Barratt London's conversion of the former Kodak factory site into over 2,000 homes. In the City fringe, Berkeley Group's 250 City Road in Islington and Postmark in Farringdon represent the premium end of the new build market.
London is built predominantly on shrinkable London Clay, which causes the UK's highest concentration of subsidence claims. Clay swells when wet and shrinks dramatically in dry spells, and Victorian properties with shallow foundations are most at risk. Even new builds on brownfield sites can be affected if site preparation and foundation engineering did not adequately account for the clay profile. Post-Grenfell fire safety regulations under the Building Safety Act 2022 are equally critical: any residential building over 11 metres must comply with new cladding and fire door standards, and as of mid-2024 over 2,300 London buildings had not yet started cladding remediation. Our inspectors flag both subsidence indicators and fire safety compliance issues as part of the snagging inspection where they are visible.
Industry data from BuildScan shows the average new build property in 2024 has 157 reportable defects - almost double the figure of 80 recorded in 2005. A professional inspector finds 150 or more defects on average; an unaided homeowner walking around with a punch list typically identifies only 20-30. That gap represents defects that will either be fixed at your developer's expense under warranty, or at your own expense once the warranty period expires.
London new builds vary enormously in construction type - from concrete frame high-rise towers in Nine Elms to traditional brick-and-block suburban houses in Harrow. The defect profile varies with construction method. High-rise apartments generate snagging issues around communal infrastructure (lifts, entry systems, communal heating), sound insulation between floors, and window fitting quality. Low-rise houses typically generate more issues around drainage, external paving, roof and gutter alignment, and internal plasterwork.
| Property Type | London | National Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 bed apartment | From £299 | From £320 | -£21 |
| 3 bed house | From £449 | From £417 | +£32 |
| 4-5 bed house | From £529 | From £488 | +£41 |
1-2 bed apartment
London
From £299
National Average
From £320
Difference
-£21
3 bed house
London
From £449
National Average
From £417
Difference
+£32
4-5 bed house
London
From £529
National Average
From £488
Difference
+£41
London pricing reflects the South East surcharge typical of the market. National averages based on CompareMyMove 2025 data sourced from 9 snagging surveyors. Prices include a full photographic defect report formatted for builder submission.
Enter your London postcode, property type and approximate floor area. Prices start from £299 for a 1-2 bed London apartment and are fixed before you book - no hidden fees. The quote includes your snagging report, and re-inspection can be added at a discount.
Select a date and time across our available London slots. Our inspectors operate across all 32 boroughs, seven days a week. We aim to attend within 7 working days of booking, faster for completions approaching.
Your inspector conducts a systematic 2-5 hour inspection of every room, communal area (where access is provided), external elevations, roof visible from ground level and all fitted elements. For high-rise apartments, communal areas such as lifts, lobby and corridors are checked where access permits.
Every defect is photographed, described and categorised by severity. Your report is formatted to send directly to your developer or site manager, with reference numbers that make builder responses trackable.
Submit the report and request a remediation schedule in writing. Under NHBC warranty terms, your developer must address defects within the two-year builder period. Our inspectors can return for a re-inspection to confirm all items are properly resolved before you sign off.
At an average London sold price of £656,619, commissioning a snagging survey is the highest-return due diligence step available to a new build buyer. The industry estimates that professional inspectors find 150+ defects on average; unaided buyers typically find 20-30. The defects found exclusively by a professional inspector - but missed by the buyer - represent issues that will either be fixed by the developer under warranty now, or by a contractor at the buyer's expense in two years.
In London's new build market, where developers often use multiple subcontractors across a single scheme, finish quality can vary significantly between plots even within the same block or phase. Our inspectors review a property in isolation against the contracted specification - not relative to neighbouring units. That's the standard your developer agreed to deliver, and it's the standard every defect report is benchmarked against.
The 94% of London new build buyers who report snags to their developer do so on average 3.4 times during the first two years. A documented snagging report from day one establishes a clear baseline: what was defective before you moved in, and what falls within normal settling-in behaviour. That distinction matters when your developer or their insurer questions the cause of any later defect.
London snagging survey prices start from £299 for a 1-2 bed apartment, around £449 for a 3-bed house, and from £529 for a 4-5 bed property. London typically carries a small surcharge above national rates due to travel time and the concentration of high-rise inspections that take longer than a standard house. The national average for a snagging survey is £377 across all property types (CompareMyMove, 2025). All prices include a full photographic defect report formatted for your developer.
Our inspectors see higher defect volumes on large multi-phase schemes where subcontractor turnover is high between phases - including major sites in Nine Elms, Canary Wharf and the Royal Docks. High-rise apartment buildings in these areas generate snagging issues specific to their construction method: communal lift and entry system defects, sound insulation failures between floors, and curtain wall or window fitting problems. Suburban house developments in outer London (Harrow, Hayes, Enfield) typically generate more traditional snagging issues around plasterwork, external works and drainage. No major developer or development type is immune to high defect volumes.
A London snagging survey takes between 2 and 5 hours on site depending on property size. A 1-2 bed apartment typically takes 2-2.5 hours. A 4-bed townhouse takes 4-5 hours. High-rise inspections can take slightly longer where communal areas such as lobby, corridors and roof terrace access require inspection. The written report, including photographs of every defect, is delivered within 48 hours of the inspection.
London is built predominantly on shrinkable London Clay, the foundation of the UK's highest concentration of subsidence insurance claims. Clay swells when saturated and shrinks in dry spells, causing differential movement in shallow foundations. For Victorian properties, this is well-documented - foundations averaging just 1-1.5 metres deep are inadequate for the clay shrinkage seen during drought years. New builds are designed to modern foundation standards that account for clay movement, but our inspectors check for early signs of differential settlement - sticking doors and windows, cracks at window corners or where walls meet ceilings - that can indicate foundation movement beginning post-completion.
Our inspectors flag visible cladding, fire door and compartmentation concerns as part of the snagging inspection. The Building Safety Act 2022 places extensive obligations on developers and building owners of residential buildings over 11 metres, and as of mid-2024 over 2,300 London buildings had not yet started required cladding remediation work. For new builds in high-rise schemes in Nine Elms, Canary Wharf, Royal Docks and other tower clusters, fire door fit, closure and certification is a critical snagging item. Our report documents any visible fire safety deficiencies that can then be escalated to the developer and the Building Safety Regulator if required.
The ideal time to book is immediately after exchange, aiming to complete the inspection 1-4 weeks before your legal completion date. This allows you to submit a defect list to your developer before you move in and before the developer declares the unit complete. If you have already completed, book within the first 30 days of moving in - defects reported early in the two-year builder warranty period are far easier to progress than those reported in the final months. Our London inspectors are familiar with the site access processes on major developments and can coordinate with on-site sales teams.
A snagging survey is specifically designed for new build properties and focuses on identifying defects in finish, fit and function against the developer's contracted specification. It covers cosmetic items such as plasterwork and paintwork, fitting quality of doors, windows and kitchens, mechanical and electrical commissioning, and external works. A structural survey (RICS Level 3) is designed for older properties and assesses the structural condition, construction method, damp, drainage and other long-term building performance factors. For a brand-new London flat or house, a snagging survey is the right product. If you're buying a conversion or a property presented as 'newly refurbished', a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey may be more appropriate.
Industry data from BuildScan records an average of 157 defects per new build in 2024, up from 80 in 2005 - an increase of 96% in under 20 years. A professional snagging inspector finds an average of 150+ defects; a buyer conducting their own inspection typically identifies only 20-30. The Home Builders Federation 2025 survey reports that 94% of new build buyers in London and across England report snags to their builder, with 26% reporting more than 15 defects. For London specifically, estimated defect volumes across the 1,900 new build sales in 2021 came to over 300,000 individual issues.
Explore our full range of property surveys and assessments across London
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HomeBuyer report for London properties - suited to post-war and modern flats, terraces and semis
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Full Building Survey for Victorian terraces, mansion flats and complex London properties
From £65
Energy Performance Certificate for London properties - required for sale, purchase or rental listing
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Homemove is a trading name of HM Haus Group Ltd (Company No. 13873779, registered in England & Wales). Homemove Mortgages Ltd (Company No. 15947693) is an Appointed Representative of TMG Direct Limited, trading as TMG Mortgage Network, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 786245). Homemove Mortgages Ltd is entered on the FCA Register as an Appointed Representative (FRN 1022429). You can check registrations at NewRegister or by calling 0800 111 6768.
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