How long should a builder take to fix snags?

Snags are normal. The timeframe is the issue.

Almost every new-build home has snags — that’s a normal part of construction. What actually matters is whether the builder acknowledges them and puts them right in a reasonable time. The good news: you don’t have to argue about what “reasonable” means. The builders’ own industry code already sets it out.

See our full new-build journey guide ↓

The 30-day rule

Under the New Homes Quality Code — the standard that builders registered with the New Homes Quality Board sign up to — a snag should be resolved within 30 calendar days, unless there’s a substantial, explained reason for the delay. If it isn’t fixed in that window, it’s treated as a formal complaint.

What counts as reasonable — at a glance

Emergency (unsafe or uninhabitable)

No heat, water, or security; anything dangerous.

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Same day — within 24–48 hours. Builders must provide out-of-hours emergency cover.

Acknowledging your report

The builder confirming they’ve received it and what happens next.

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Promptly — around 5 working days is the practical norm.

Fixing a routine snag

The everyday defects found in almost every new home.

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Within 30 calendar days, unless there’s a substantial, explained reason for delay.

It becomes a formal complaint

If a snag isn’t put right in time, it escalates.

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Triggered when a snag is not fixed within 30 days.

“Too long” — escalate to the Ombudsman

You can take it over the builder’s head.

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After 56 calendar days from your first complaint, you can refer it to the New Homes Ombudsman.

How long the builder is responsible

The window in which snags/defects are their job to fix.

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The first 2 years after legal completion (NHBC Buildmark builder-liability period).

So when is it “too long”? If a routine snag is still unfixed after 30 days it’s a formal complaint — and once 56 calendar days have passed since you first complained, you can escalate it. If your builder is signed up to the New Homes Quality Code, that means the New Homes Ombudsman, who can direct them to act; if not, your warranty or consumer-code route applies (which is yours?). Either way, silence past these points isn’t just frustrating — it’s outside the builder’s own published standard.

The 2-year cliff — why time is on the builder’s side

Here’s the part it pays to understand. For the first 2 years — the builder-liability period — your builder must put right almost any defect that breaches NHBC standards, at their own cost. After 2 years, cover narrows to major structural issues only, handled by the warranty provider (NHBC) rather than the builder — and most ordinary snags simply fall on you.

That creates a 2-year cliff. Every day a snag drifts unresolved, the closer it gets to the point where it stops being the builder’s responsibility at all. We’re not saying every delay is deliberate — but the incentive to let the clock run down is built right into how the warranty works. So the closer you are to that 2-year mark, the more it matters not to let things drift.

Protect your clock: log every snag in writing the moment you spot it, push for fixes well inside the 2 years, and keep a dated record of every report and response. That record is your single most valuable asset if it ever goes to the Ombudsman — and a public, dated timeline is the best way to stop a builder quietly running down the clock.

What if it’s “fixed” — but not fixed properly?

A visit isn’t a fix. If a repair fails or the fault comes back, the snag isn’t resolved — the builder’s duty is to actually put it right, not just to attend. So a botched or repeat repair means the issue stays open, and the original clock keeps running. Two things to know:

✓Attending isn’t the same as fixing. A builder saying it’s “done” doesn’t settle it — if the fault is still there, the issue isn’t resolved and stays open.
✓The clock doesn’t reset. A new visit doesn’t restart the 30 days. Time is counted from when you first reported it — so patch-and-run doesn’t hide the delay.
✓Repeat failures are evidence. A fault that keeps returning after “repairs” is strong evidence of a genuine build defect, not wear and tear. Keep dated notes of each visit.

Why these timescales matter

We’re not inventing a standard or punishing builders for having snags — snags are normal. These are the industry’s own published timescales. A verified review is simply a factual record of your experience: what you reported, when, and how the builder responded — measured against the timeframe the industry itself considers reasonable. A builder who fixes things inside 30 days looks exactly as good as they are.

What the Ombudsman can do for you

If 56 days pass without resolution, you can take your complaint to the New Homes Ombudsman Service — free, independent, and far quicker than court. It sits above the builder and can actually compel action. It can:

✓Order the builder to put it right. Not just suggest — direct them to carry out the actual repairs.
✓Award compensation up to £50,000. Including up to £2,000 for the distress and inconvenience, on top of the cost of the defect (for homes reserved from January 2024).
✓Make a binding decision. If you accept the outcome, the builder is bound by it. It’s enforceable, not just advice.
✓Cost you nothing. Free to use, and you don’t need a solicitor.

A few limits: it covers builders signed up to the New Homes Quality Code, applies in your first 2 years, and can’t help if the builder has become insolvent — in which case your NHBC warranty takes over. If your builder isn’t signed up to the Code, you’re not stuck — see which route is yours (the Ombudsman, consumer codes or your warranty) →

What you’ll need to bring

It’s a documents-led process — the Ombudsman decides on the paperwork. First, two gateway conditions:

✓Complain to the builder first. Then either get their Final Complaint Closure letter, or wait 56 days from your first complaint.
✓Check eligibility. The builder must be signed up to the New Homes Quality Code, your home reserved after they joined, and the issue arose within 2 years.

Then the evidence to submit:

✓Your purchase contract / reservation paperwork (proves you’re the eligible buyer).
✓Photographs of the defects.
✓Any reports — a snagging survey or independent expert report carries real weight.
✓Every piece of dated correspondence with the builder — your complaint and their responses.
✓Which part of the Code you believe was breached, and the dates throughout.

Here’s the catch most people hit: almost everyone has their contract — but very few have a clean, dated record of what they reported and when, and how the builder responded. That correspondence trail is the single weakest point in most cases, and it’s the hardest thing to reconstruct months later from memory and a scattered inbox. It’s exactly what decides an Ombudsman case.

How Snag Scout helps you get there

The Ombudsman runs on evidence — a clear, dated record of what you reported, when, and how the builder responded (including any failed repairs). Reviewing your experience on Snag Scout gives you your own dated record of how it went, which is useful supporting context if you escalate — alongside your own paperwork (emails, photos, snag reports), which remain the core evidence the Ombudsman relies on.

Started a clock with your builder? Put it on the record.

Log when you reported it, and track the response — free, private, and dated.

Share your experience

General information, not legal advice, and it doesn’t override your warranty terms or contract. Timescales summarise the New Homes Quality Code and NHBC Buildmark; your own warranty, builder and the Ombudsman will apply their specific terms. If in doubt, take professional advice.