Key facts
- The checklist is published by the New Homes Quality Board (NHQB). The current version is Version 2, March 2026, with separate versions for houses and apartments.
- Developers registered with the New Homes Quality Code must give you the opportunity of a pre-completion inspection, carried out by you or by a suitably qualified inspector.
- The inspection normally takes place after the notice to complete is served and before the completion date. The notice period is usually at least 14 calendar days.
- It must be carried out and recorded using the standard checklist. It can be presented digitally, but the checks themselves must not be changed.
- Issues that breach the warranty technical standards should be put right before legal completion, or within 30 days if that is not possible.
What is the Pre-Completion Inspection Checklist?
The Pre-Completion Inspection Checklist is a standard template produced by the New Homes Quality Board (NHQB) as part of the New Homes Quality Code. It sets out the checks to be made on a new home before legal completion, and the standard each item should meet.
There are two versions: one for houses and one for apartments. The apartment version adds checks on the communal areas, such as entrance doors, intercom, corridors, lifts, escape routes and post boxes. The house version includes the loft, roof, chimneys, garages, drains and boundaries.
Each check is marked as Standard Met: Y or N, with space for comments on what needs doing to meet the standard. There is also a room-by-room section and space for other notes.
Who can carry out the inspection?
You can carry out the inspection yourself, or appoint a suitably qualified inspector to do it for you. Under the Code, an inspector must:
- be a member of a recognised professional association experienced in residential surveying, such as CABE, CIOB, ICWCI, RICS or RPSA;
- hold relevant professional indemnity insurance;
- only work within their competency; and
- only use the standard template Pre-Completion Inspection Checklist.
The NHQB notes that the checklist was designed to be used by a professional, and that a buyer without surveying experience may miss or interpret some of the standards differently.
When does the inspection happen?
Under section 2.8 of the Code, the inspection should take place before the completion date and after the notice to complete has been served, or earlier if you and the developer both agree. The completion notice period is usually expected to be at least 14 calendar days, so there is time to book the inspection. In practice, book your inspector as soon as you know your likely completion date.
The checklist is not meant to delay or prevent completion. It gives you and the developer a clear record of what needs to be put right.
How items are assessed
The checklist sets out how each type of item should be viewed, so that inspections are fair and consistent:
| Element | How it is inspected |
|---|---|
| Internal walls, ceilings, paintwork, mastic and sealing | In daylight, from at least 2m, without shining a light on the surface |
| Cupboards, wardrobes, worktops and fitted furniture | In daylight, from 0.5m |
| Glazing | In daylight, from at least 2m (3m for laminated or toughened glass). Fine scratches under 25mm are acceptable |
| External walls | In daylight, from at least 10m |
| Loft spaces (houses) | Only where safely accessible |
Measuring tools such as spirit levels and tape measures can be used to confirm whether something meets a stated tolerance, for example skirting gaps of no more than 5mm, or fire door gaps of 2mm to 4mm at the head and sides.
What the completed checklist must include
A completed Pre-Completion Inspection Checklist must include:
- the inspector's contact details and professional association;
- a description of the property, and where each room is located;
- any limitations to the inspection, such as weather conditions or areas that could not be accessed;
- photographs and explanatory notes of all matters found; and
- details of any remedial works required.
The completed checklist should be given to the developer, and to you if it was completed by a professional.
What happens after the inspection?
If the inspection finds issues that breach the warranty provider's technical standards, the Code says the developer is responsible for addressing them, ideally before legal completion, or within 30 days if that is not possible. After completion, the developer must also provide an after-sales service for at least two years. Read our guide on how long a developer has to fix snags.
How Snagged carries out pre-completion inspections
We use our own version of the NHQB Pre-Completion Inspection Checklist, for houses and apartments. It is fully compliant: the Code allows the checklist to be produced in an electronic or digital format, as long as every check on the original template is carried out, and ours reproduces every check exactly as published.
Alongside the checklist, your pre-completion report includes everything you would expect from a professional inspection:
- our contact details and professional association, the property description and where each room is located, and any limitations on the day;
- every check marked Y, N or not applicable, with each N cross-referenced to a numbered issue;
- photographs of every issue, with an explanatory note, the relevant NHBC guidance and the remedial works required;
- a room-by-room summary and a Developer Micro List the site team can print and work from; and
- a drone roof inspection and thermal imaging, where the developer gives permission.
You can see the report format in our sample report.
Frequently asked questions
Can my developer refuse a pre-completion inspection?
Developers registered with the New Homes Quality Code must give you the opportunity of a pre-completion inspection. They can refuse entry to an inspector who does not meet the Code's definition of suitably qualified, so choose an inspector who belongs to a recognised body such as the RPSA and holds professional indemnity insurance.
Do I have to use the NHQB checklist?
Yes. The Code says the inspection must be carried out and recorded in line with the Pre-Completion Inspection Checklist. It can be presented in an electronic format, but the checks on the original template must be carried out.
Will a pre-completion inspection delay my completion?
No. The checklist is not intended to delay or prevent completion. It records what needs to be put right, ideally before completion or within 30 days if that is not possible.
Can drones and thermal cameras be used before completion?
Only with the developer's permission, because the home still belongs to the developer until legal completion.
Is the checklist the same for houses and flats?
No. There is a house version and an apartment version. The apartment version includes communal areas such as lifts, corridors and escape routes.
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Sources: New Homes Quality Code, Version 2 (March 2026), section 2.8 · NHQB resources and checklists. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Always check your own contract, warranty documents and the developer's aftercare policy.