New build checks: the Quality Code, snagging and warranties

Buying a new-build home can come with extra protections, but they depend on which scheme the developer uses and when you reserved the property. This page covers the New Homes Quality Code, reservation rules, pre-completion checks, complaints and one example of a warranty product, NHBC Buildmark. Some of these points are scheme-specific rather than universal, so they should be read as protections that apply where the relevant developer or warranty provider is involved.

The New Homes Quality Code

The New Homes Quality Board launched in 2022. Registered developers must follow the New Homes Quality Code and accept decisions of the New Homes Ombudsman. The Code protects customers from reservation until two years after legal completion. Version 2 of the Code applies to homes reserved from 2 March 2026, while Version 1 continues to apply to homes reserved before that date. The same source says the Code covers over 56% of privately sold new-build homes in the UK.

Reservation and cooling-off

For a home reserved with a registered developer, the reservation must be set out in a formal signed Reservation Agreement. The cooling-off period must be at least 14 days, and if you cancel during that period the developer must refund the full reservation fee. Under Code V2, exchange of contracts must be no earlier than six weeks after reservation unless the customer asks for an earlier date. While the Reservation Agreement is valid, the developer cannot cancel it or sell the same home to someone else. If the buyer cancels after the cooling-off period, the reservation fee must be refunded within 14 days, less any stated deductions. Separately, before exchange either side can still pull out, but after exchange the contract is legally binding and the buyer could lose the deposit and face other legal costs if they withdraw.

Pre-completion inspection and snagging

Developers must give the customer, or a suitably qualified inspector appointed by the customer, the chance to carry out a pre-completion inspection. A snag is a minor imperfection or fault that does not meet the quality or finish expected under the contract. If a reported snag is not put right within 30 days, the customer can ask for it to be handled through the formal complaints process.

Complaints and the Ombudsman

Under the Code, a complaint should receive a written acknowledgement within 5 days and a response letter within 30 days. If the dispute is still not resolved, it can go to the New Homes Ombudsman Service after 56 days. Customers also have two years from reservation or completion, whichever is later, to complain.

Warranties

One warranty example is NHBC Buildmark. It provides pre-completion deposit protection, a two-year builder warranty period and an eight-year insurance policy. That makes a 10-year structure overall, with cover up to £1 million. It also covers builder insolvency before completion for the first owner. That cover is typically 10% of the purchase price, up to £100,000. This paragraph is limited to NHBC Buildmark because no wider warranty comparison is covered by the verified sources on this page.

Key facts

Source: NHQB - New Homes Quality Code V2 (March 2026) — Guidance checked August 2026

Source: NHQB - The Code — Guidance checked August 2026

Source: NHQB - The Code — Guidance checked August 2026

Source: NHQB - New Homes Quality Code V2 (March 2026) — Guidance checked August 2026