Yes, in most cases. If you reserved your home from an NHQB-registered developer on or after 2 March 2026, Version 2 of the New Homes Quality Code lets you carry out the pre-completion inspection yourself. Under Version 1, the inspection had to be done by a suitably qualified inspector.
What the Code says
- You can inspect yourself, or appoint a suitably qualified inspector: a member of a recognised professional body for surveying (such as RICS, CIOB or CABE) who holds professional indemnity insurance and works within their competency.
- Either way, the inspection must use the NHQB Pre-Completion Inspection Checklist.
- If you inspect yourself, the developer must tell you that the checklist was designed to be used by a professional, so you may miss things or interpret some requirements differently.
- The inspection takes place after the Notice to Complete is served and before the completion date, or earlier if you and the developer both agree. The notice period is normally at least 14 calendar days.
- If issues breach the warranty provider's technical standards, the developer is responsible for fixing them, ideally before legal completion or within 30 days if that isn't possible.
The hard part: judging what counts as a defect
The checklist gives you a structure, and it sets out how to inspect: for example, internal walls are viewed in natural daylight from at least two metres away, without shining a light across the surface. But the developer judges your findings against the warranty provider's technical standards. Those standards set tolerances, for example for how level a floor or how straight a wall must be. Knowing the tolerance, and being able to measure it, is what separates a defect the developer must fix from one they can dispute. Download the current checklist from the NHQB website before you start.
When doing it yourself makes sense
- You're confident with tools and happy to read technical standards.
- It's a small flat and you have time before completion.
- You plan to get a professional snagging survey after you move in anyway.
When a professional is worth it
- It's the biggest purchase you'll make, and the developer's own team will review your findings.
- A professional report cites the relevant standard for each defect, which is harder to dismiss.
- Some of the most costly issues are easy to miss without experience: loft insulation gaps, drainage falls and poorly sealed service penetrations.
An Ashbridge pre-completion inspection starts at £325 for a flat and £370 for a 3-bedroom house, with an engineer-checked report within 24 hours. Check your inspection window, see a sample report or get an instant price.
This guide summarises the Code for buyers and isn't legal advice. Check the current Code on the NHQB website, and your contract dates with your conveyancer.