The Ultimate New Build Defects Checklist for Ireland

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This is the master new build defects checklist we work from on every inspection. It's organised room-by-room so you can use it on a final walk-through or as a reference before booking a professional inspection. If you're not yet sure what is a snag list and how it differs from a formal survey, start there first, then work through the rooms below.

Hallway & Stairs

Front door — seals, locks, threshold weather strip
Stair treads — fixed, no squeaks, no exposed nails
Banister — secure, no movement
Hall floor — flat, no lippage, no scratches
Walls and ceiling — no defects under direct light

Living Areas

Walls under raking light — paint defects, patches
Skirting caulked at all junctions
Floor flat and quiet underfoot
Sockets and switches — every one tested
TV and data points if installed
Radiators — hot top to bottom, valves operational

Kitchen

Every unit door soft-closes
Worktop seams flush and unscratched
Splashback sealed
Sink — drains, hot/cold, sealed at edges
Appliances — powered, tested, manuals received
Extractor hood — operates and lights

Bathrooms & Ensuites

Tiles — no lippage, grouting clean and continuous
Sealant runs around bath, shower, basin, toilet
Drainage tested in shower and basin
Toilet — seated, sealed, fill and flush adjusted
Hot/cold at every tap
Extractor fan operates
Shower screen — sealed, plumb, no drag

Unfilled gap behind a toilet exposing the plumbing during a new-build inspection — **Bathroom snag:** guest toilet — gap behind the WC exposing the plumbing. Builder action: fill and repaint.

Leak detected at the base of a rain-style shower head during a snagging inspection — **Bathroom snag:** 2nd-floor en-suite — leak at the shower head fixing.

Bedrooms

Walls and ceilings under raking light
Floor flat and quiet
Wardrobe doors aligned and operating
Windows — open, lock, seal, restrictors operational
Trickle vents operate
Sockets tested live

Tape measure showing an oversized clearance gap under a 1st-floor bedroom door — **Bedroom snag:** 1st-floor bedroom — door under-clearance measured too large to meet fire-regulation seal.

Attic / Loft

Insulation depth and coverage
No displaced insulation around tanks or pipes
Ventilation operational
No construction debris
Hatch closes flush

Cold-water tank in an attic with no insulation underneath — **Attic snag:** no insulation under the cold-water tank.

Daylight visible through a gap between brickwork and timber beam in an attic — **Attic snag:** front-left of house — gap between brickwork and timber beam with daylight coming through.

External

Render finish — no cracks at openings
Brickwork even, no obvious lipping
Gutters aligned, downpipes secure
Drainage gullies clear and falling correctly
Driveway and paths fall away from the house
Boundary fences and gates
External tap and isolation
External lights operational

Uninsulated copper pipework from an air-to-water heat pump in the back garden of a new build — **External snag:** back garden — air-to-water heat-pump pipework still uninsulated, groundwork outstanding.

Documentation

BER certificate
HomeBond / Premier Guarantee
Compliance certificate
Appliance manuals
Commissioning certificates
All keys (front, back, windows, post, communal)

The warranty paperwork matters as much as the building itself, so check which cover you have — our comparison of HomeBond vs Premier Guarantee explains what each one does and doesn't cover.

For structured defect categories with severity guidance, see our top-25 defects list. For background on why these faults occur so consistently, see our overview of new build defects Ireland, and for how an inspector works through the property on the day, our snagging inspection checklist.

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