What’s on the NHQB Pre-Completion Inspection Checklist?
The New Homes Quality Board updated its pre-completion inspection checklist in March 2026, and the new version (V2) now applies to all homes reserved from 2 March 2026. If you are buying a new build and your developer has given you a date to carry out your pre-completion inspection, this is the official document that governs what gets checked — and what does not.
Most guides on this topic tell you the inspection is a good idea without explaining what it actually covers. This one works through the checklist section by section, so you know exactly what to expect before you turn up on the day.
Quick answer: The NHQB pre-completion inspection checklist (V2, March 2026) covers over 250 quality points across the exterior, interior, services, and outdoor areas of a new-build home. It is a visual, non-invasive inspection carried out before legal completion. Separate checklists exist for houses and apartments. Developers registered with the NHQB are required to give buyers — or an independent suitably qualified inspector — the opportunity to carry out the inspection before completion.
What is the NHQB pre-completion inspection?
The New Homes Quality Board is the independent body behind the New Homes Quality Code, which sets standards for developers selling new-build homes in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Under the Code, developers registered with the NHQB must give buyers the opportunity to carry out a pre-completion inspection (PCI) before legal completion takes place.
The inspection uses a standard template checklist — there are two versions, one for houses and one for apartments — which is the only format an inspector is permitted to use. According to the NHQB Code Part 2, the inspection must take place after the notice to complete has been served and before the completion date, with the completion notice period expected to be at least 14 calendar days.
The inspection is not a full structural survey. It is a finishing-standards check — it confirms that the property is complete, that fixtures and fittings are working, and that the standard of workmanship meets the developer’s own specification. It cannot identify defects hidden behind walls, within the roof void, or in areas that are not visually accessible on the day.
Which developers are covered?
The NHQB Code applies only to developers registered with the NHQB. You can check whether your developer is registered at nhqb.org.uk. If they are not registered, the Code does not apply, though many developers follow similar practices. The NHQB is separate from the New Home Warranty providers such as NHBC or Premier Guarantee, though the two systems work alongside each other.
What does the NHQB checklist cover?
The V2 house checklist (March 2026) organises inspection points into areas of the property. It covers finishing quality, functionality of fittings, safety compliance, and the condition of external spaces. Here is a breakdown of the main sections:
| Area | What is checked |
|---|---|
| External walls & brickwork | Mortar joints, perpendicular brickwork, pointing consistency, render quality, cracking or defects |
| Roof | Tile or slate condition, ridge tiles, flashing, gutters and downpipes, general finish visible from ground level |
| Windows & doors | Opening, closing and locking operation; seals; glazing quality; draught strips; sill condition |
| External joinery | Fascias, soffits, bargeboards: finish, paint or UPVC condition |
| Internal walls & ceilings | Plaster finish (inspected in natural daylight from 2m, not under torch); paint coverage; cracking |
| Floors | Levelness, squeaking, floor covering finish (carpet, tiles, LVT as specified) |
| Kitchens | Units, worktops, doors, hinges, plinth; appliances fitted and working; taps, sink, waste |
| Bathrooms & ensuites | Sanitaryware finish; taps, shower, bath; grout, sealant and tiling; extractor fans |
| Electrics | Light switches and sockets operating; consumer unit accessible; lighting working; smoke and heat detectors |
| Heating & plumbing | Boiler commissioned; radiators heating; hot and cold water at outlets; pressure gauge reading |
| Stairs & balustrades | Solid and secure; no excessive movement; handrails at correct height; spindle spacing |
| Garage (if applicable) | Door operation, floor finish, power and lighting where specified |
| Garden & external areas | Turf or seeding, paving finish, boundary fences or walls, drainage channels |
The inspection is carried out by comparison with normal daily use — light switches should switch lights on, taps should deliver water at the right temperature, doors should open and close smoothly. The standard is practical: does it work and does it look finished?
Internal walls must be inspected in natural daylight from a minimum of two metres. The V2 guidance explicitly prohibits shining a torch at wall surfaces — this would reveal surface imperfections that are below the standard the inspection is designed to check for.
Should you use an independent inspector or do it yourself?
The NHQB Code gives you both options. You can carry out the inspection yourself using the official checklist, or you can appoint a suitably qualified inspector to do it on your behalf.
The Code itself notes that the inspection was designed to be carried out by a professional, and that buyers carrying it out themselves may miss or interpret some requirements differently. That is not a scare tactic — it is an acknowledgement that an experienced surveyor will be methodical in a way that most buyers, seeing the property for the first time in final form, will not be.
If you appoint an independent inspector, the NHQB requires them to:
- Be a member of a recognised professional association with residential surveying experience — RICS, RPSA, CABE, CIOB, or ICWCI are all accepted
- Hold current professional indemnity insurance
- Work only within their competency
- Use the standard NHQB template checklist only — no other format is permitted
A professional pre-completion inspection typically takes two to three hours for a three-bedroom house and costs from around £450, with a digital snag report delivered within 24 hours. You receive a clear record of every item checked and any issues identified, which is far more useful than handwritten notes if anything needs to go back to the developer.
Timing matters. The PCI must happen after the notice to complete is served — usually at least 14 days before your completion date. Book your inspector as soon as you receive the notice. If the developer corrects issues after the inspection, ask for written confirmation and, if significant, request a second check before completion.
What happens if the inspection finds problems?
Under the NHQB Code, if the inspection identifies issues that breach the developer’s warranty technical standards, the developer is responsible for addressing them — ideally before legal completion, or within 30 days if completion must take place before the work is done.
This is an important right. It means you are not simply handing over a snag list after you have moved in and waiting to see what happens. The PCI is specifically designed to capture defects before completion so the developer has both a legal obligation and a clear timeline to address them.
The developer should give you a Schedule of Incomplete Work at completion — a written record of anything still outstanding along with the timescales for completing it. Keep this document. It is your evidence if the work does not get done.
If you want to understand how the PCI fits into the broader new-build experience, our guide to post-completion surveys explains what a further inspection can cover once you have moved in. For a sense of the kinds of defects that typically come up, our guide to what a snagging survey finds sets out the most common issues by area of the property.
What the NHQB checklist does not cover
The PCI checklist is specifically a finishing check. It has defined limitations you should be aware of:
- No specialist equipment. Thermal imaging cameras, moisture meters, and endoscopes cannot be used. The inspection is visual and practical, comparable to normal daily use of the property.
- No hidden areas. The inspection cannot check what is inside walls, below floor coverings unless a defect is visible at the surface, inside the roof void, or within the structure of the building.
- No building regulations commentary. The checklist cannot raise issues that relate to building regulations compliance or warranty technical standards in the way a structural survey can. These are assessed by the warranty provider, not the PCI inspector.
- No legal or boundary matters. Party wall, boundary, and ownership disputes are entirely outside the scope of the inspection.
This is why many buyers who have used an NHQB inspector also commission a post-completion survey in the months after moving in. The PCI catches visible finishing defects before you hand over your money; a post-completion inspection can then review the property more thoroughly once access is straightforward and any latent defects have had time to develop.
Frequently asked questions
Is a pre-completion inspection the same as a snagging survey?
Not exactly. The NHQB pre-completion inspection uses the official NHQB checklist and must happen before legal completion. A snagging survey can be carried out at any point after exchange and is often more detailed in scope. A PCI using the NHQB template is more restricted in format than a bespoke snagging survey, but it carries the weight of the Code behind it.
Can I carry out the NHQB inspection myself?
Yes. The NHQB Code gives you the right to carry it out yourself using the official checklist, available free from the NHQB website. The Code also notes that the inspection was designed to be carried out by a professional. Most buyers find that an independent inspector produces a more thorough and actionable report.
What if the developer refuses to allow the inspection?
The developer must give you a reasonable opportunity to carry out the inspection before completion. If access is being unreasonably refused or timed so that there is no practical time to act on findings, this is a potential breach of the Code. Contact the NHQB or seek legal advice if you are not being given access.
Does the NHQB inspection cover apartment communal areas?
The apartment version of the NHQB checklist covers the individual apartment. Communal areas such as lifts, lobbies, and stairwells are covered by a separate developer quality assurance process. If you are buying a flat, ask your developer specifically about communal area completion status and timescales for handover.
Buying a new build in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, Rutland or the surrounding area? Blue Blossom Surveys carries out NHQB-compliant pre-completion inspections for new-build buyers, with a detailed digital report delivered within 24 hours. Get in touch to book — ideally as soon as you receive the notice to complete.
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