Terms of engagement
The short version: we inspect what can be seen and reached without opening anything up, we grade what we find against published standards, and we say plainly what falls outside our competence.
Last updated 11 August 2026
Who we act for
We act solely for the client who instructs and pays us — normally the buyer or owner. Our report is prepared for you alone. It may be shared with your developer, conveyancer or warranty provider, but no third party may rely on it without our written agreement.
We do not accept instructions from developers, housebuilders or their contractors.
Scope
A snagging inspection is a visual, non-intrusive inspection of the readily accessible parts of a property against the relevant new home warranty technical standards and applicable Building Regulations guidance.
It is not a RICS Home Survey, a structural survey, a valuation, an electrical or gas safety certification, or a legal opinion. If you need any of those, you need a differently qualified professional.
What is excluded
- Anything concealed — behind finishes, under floor coverings, within walls, or below ground
- Areas we cannot safely reach: roofs beyond pole-camera range, unboarded loft areas, spaces requiring specialist access equipment
- Rooms or areas locked, obstructed or unsafe on the day; these are listed as not inspected in the report
- Testing that requires specialist certification — electrical installation testing, gas soundness, drainage CCTV
- Land, boundaries, title, planning compliance and adopted-status of roads and sewers
- Anything arising after the inspection date; the report describes the property on the day we attended
An inspection is a sample of a moment. A defect that only shows in driving rain, or after a heating system has run for a winter, cannot be found on a dry morning in August. Nobody can promise otherwise.
Fees and cancellation
Fees are fixed and quoted before attendance, and are payable on delivery of the report. Cancellation more than 48 hours before the appointment is free; inside 48 hours, or where we attend and cannot gain access through no fault of ours, 50% is payable to cover the reserved slot.
Reports
Reports are delivered within 48 hours of the visit as a PDF. Copyright remains with us; you have an unrestricted licence to use, copy and share the report for any purpose connected with the property, including in a dispute with your developer, warranty provider or the New Homes Ombudsman.
Liability
We carry professional indemnity insurance of £2,000,000. Our liability to you for any claim arising from an inspection is limited to £2,000,000 or the level of cover in force at the time, whichever is lower.
Nothing in these terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for any other liability that cannot lawfully be limited. Where you engage us as a consumer, your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 — including that the service be carried out with reasonable care and skill — are unaffected.
Complaints
If something has gone wrong, write to office@snagwright.com. We acknowledge within 3 working days and give a full response within 20. If you remain dissatisfied you may refer the matter to the Residential Property Surveyors Association's complaints procedure.
Applicable law
These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction.
Questions about any of the above go to office@snagwright.com. See also our privacy page.