New build snagging tolerances: the numbers, and where they come from
Most snagging disagreements are not about whether a mark exists. They are about whether it falls outside a published tolerance, viewed the way the standard says it should be viewed. These are the published figures that come up most on UK new builds, with exactly where each one comes from, so you can cite the source instead of arguing about it.
By Blu Mint Digital. 8 minute read. Last reviewed .
Why tolerances decide what counts as a snag
No new home is perfectly flat, plumb or level. Warranty providers publish how far a finish may deviate before it counts as a defect, and a developer’s customer care team will measure your snag against that figure. A snag described as “wall uneven” invites a refusal. A snag described as “7 mm deviation under a 2 m straightedge, LABC Warranty limit ±5 mm” has to be answered.
The viewing rules come first
Before any number applies, the finish has to be viewed correctly. The New Homes Quality Code says internal walls must be inspected in natural daylight from a minimum distance of two metres, without shining a light on the surface. The NHQB checklist applies the same 2 metre daylight rule to ceilings and paintwork, and allows a single light source only where there is no daylight.
That rule rules out the most common snagging mistake: raking a torch across a wall at a low angle. It will show shadows on almost any plastered surface, and they are not defects under the checklist. If a mark is visible from 2 metres in daylight, record it, and say in the description that it was viewed that way.
Limits in the NHQB pre-completion checklist
The New Homes Quality Board publishes a standard Pre-Completion Inspection Checklist, and under version 2 of the Code third-party inspectors must use it. The house version gives these figures:
| Item | NHQB checklist (house, version 2) |
|---|---|
| Ceilings, walls and paintwork | Viewed from 2 m in daylight, without shining a light on the surface |
| External walls | Viewed from 10 m |
| Fitted furniture | Viewed from 0.5 m |
| Glazing | Viewed from 2 m (3 m for laminated or toughened glass); fine scratches under 25 mm acceptable |
| Gap between skirting and floor | 5 mm maximum |
| Handrail clearance from wall | At least 25 mm |
| FD30 fire door gaps | 2 to 4 mm at head and sides, 4 mm or less at the base |
| Chips to brickwork | Up to 15 mm |
| Cracks in render | Up to 0.2 mm |
| Damp-proof course | At least 150 mm above ground level |
The checklist has versions for different home types. Use the one that matches the property, and see the guide to the pre-completion inspection for how it fits into the Code.
Tolerances in the LABC Warranty technical manual
LABC Warranty publishes its tolerances openly in section 1 of its technical manual. They are a useful, citable reference for the measurements a visual checklist does not cover:
| Item | LABC Warranty Technical Manual v10, section 1 |
|---|---|
| Wall and ceiling flatness | ±5 mm from a 2 m straightedge with equal offsets, and no abrupt step over 4 mm in any 300 mm |
| Internal walls, plumb | 10 mm in a storey height up to 2.5 m; 20 mm for taller walls |
| Ceiling level | 10 mm maximum over 2 m |
| Floor level | 4 mm per metre for rooms up to 6 m across; 25 mm overall for larger spans |
| Cracks at wall, floor and ceiling junctions | Up to 3 mm may appear as materials dry out |
| Skirting joints | Viewed from 2 m in daylight |
These are LABC Warranty’s figures. On a home covered by LABC Warranty they are the right ones to quote. On a home covered by another provider, cite them as a published industry reference and ask the developer which standard they are working to.
Where NHBC Standards fit in
Most UK new builds are covered by NHBC, and NHBC Standards, chapter 9, sets its finishes tolerances. The current edition is published to registered builders, so we have not reproduced figures we could not check against it. If your home is NHBC covered:
- Record the measurement and the method, as below, without quoting a limit you cannot cite.
- Ask the developer to confirm, in writing, the NHBC Standards clause they are applying when they refuse an item.
- Keep their answer with the snag. If you later use NHBC’s resolution service, NHBC decides whether the builder met its own requirements.
Record a measurement so it stands up
For any snag that depends on a tolerance, the record should show:
- The reading, in millimetres, and what it was measured with: “2 m straightedge”, “spirit level”, “feeler gauge”.
- Where exactly it was taken: room, wall, height and distance from a fixed point.
- A photograph with the tool in shot, and a wide photograph that shows the location.
- The standard and figure you are comparing it with, and its source.
- How the finish was viewed, for visual items: “from 2 m in daylight”.
The guide to recording measurements in a defect report has more examples. In Site Audit each snag holds several captioned photos and a description, so the reading, the tool and the cited limit stay together in the PDF the developer receives.
Sources and further reading
- Pre-Completion Inspection Checklist, house, version 2 (March 2026) (New Homes Quality Board)
- New Homes Quality Code, version 2 (New Homes Quality Board)
- Technical Manual v10, section 1: Tolerances (LABC Warranty)
- Buildmark: the first two years (NHBC)