Part of the guide: The Site Inspection Checklist to Run on Every Walkthrough
This is the walk, written out. 111 checks in the order you move through a new house: entrance, living room, kitchen, each bedroom, the bathrooms, the stairs, outside, the roof space. The first 57 come from the New-build handover template; the bathroom and kitchen sections go deeper with their own 28 and 26 checks. Every line has the trade a Fail is filed under.
Print this page, or walk it on your phone: each of the three templates below opens in Punch List AI, where a Fail becomes a numbered snag with a photo and the walk prints as an appendix to your report.
Before you start: walk in the same order every time; photograph the wet rooms and the fire and safety items even when they pass; give every snag a room, a photo, a trade and a severity. The fourteen most common snags are all on this list.
New-build handover: 57 checks
Entrance & hallway
- Front door closes, locks and seals; no daylight at the frame (finishing)
- Door furniture fitted and working; keys supplied (finishing)
- Walls and ceiling: no cracks, nail pops or unfilled holes (cosmetic)
- Paint finish even; no runs, misses or overspray (cosmetic)
- Floor level, no lifting edges or squeaks (finishing)
- Light switches and sockets work; faceplates straight (electrical)
- Smoke detector fitted and tested (safety)
Living room
- Windows open, close and lock; trickle vents work (finishing)
- Window sealant continuous; no gaps at the reveals (finishing)
- No cracks above openings or at wall–ceiling junctions (structural)
- Skirting fitted tight; joints filled and painted (cosmetic)
- Sockets, TV and data points as drawn; all live (electrical)
- Radiator heats evenly; valves turn; no leaks at the tails (mechanical)
- Floor finish free of scratches, gaps and dents (cosmetic)
Kitchen
- Cabinet doors and drawers aligned; soft-close works (finishing)
- Worktop joints sealed; no chips or scratches (finishing)
- Sealant continuous behind the sink and along the upstand (plumbing)
- Taps run hot and cold; no drips; waste drains freely (plumbing)
- No leaks under the sink or at the appliance connections (plumbing)
- Hob, oven and extractor work; extractor vents outside (electrical)
- Sockets above the worktop at the right height and live (electrical)
- Tiles level, grout complete, no cracked or hollow tiles (finishing)
- Isolation valves and stopcock accessible and labelled (plumbing)
Bathroom & WC
- Sealant at the bath, tray and basin continuous, no gaps or mould (plumbing)
- Shower runs hot and cold; screen seals; tray drains (plumbing)
- WC flushes and refills; no movement at the pan (plumbing)
- Grout complete; no cracked tiles, especially at corners (finishing)
- Extractor fan runs and switches off on the timer (electrical)
- Towel rail heats; no leaks at the valves (mechanical)
- Floor falls to the drain (wet rooms); no ponding (plumbing)
Bedrooms
- Windows operate; restrictors fitted upstairs (safety)
- Walls, ceiling and paint free of defects (cosmetic)
- Wardrobe doors and rails fitted and aligned (finishing)
- Sockets and light switches as drawn; all live (electrical)
- Radiator heats; TRV fitted and working (mechanical)
- Carpet or floor fitted tight to the skirting; no ripples (cosmetic)
Stairs & landing
- Handrail secure; balustrade gaps under 100 mm (safety)
- Treads level and even; no squeaks or movement (structural)
- Loft hatch fitted, insulated and closes (finishing)
- Smoke and heat detectors fitted where required (safety)
Utility & services
- Boiler commissioned; certificate and manual supplied (mechanical)
- Consumer unit labelled; RCD test button works (electrical)
- Electrical installation certificate supplied (electrical)
- Washing machine and dryer connections in place; no leaks (plumbing)
- Meters accessible and readable (other)
Exterior & garden
- Brickwork: no stepped cracking, efflorescence or spalling (structural)
- Pointing complete and even; weep holes clear (structural)
- Render free of cracking, hollow patches or staining (cosmetic)
- Paths and patios level; no trip edges; falls away from the house (structural)
- Fences, gates and boundaries as drawn; gates latch (finishing)
- External taps, lights and sockets work (electrical)
- Garden graded and cleared of builders' debris (other)
Roof & gutters
- Tiles or slates complete; none slipped, cracked or missing (structural)
- Ridge and hip fixings secure; verges pointed or dry-fixed (structural)
- Flashings at chimneys and abutments dressed and sealed (structural)
- Gutters aligned and clipped; downpipes connected; no overflow (plumbing)
- Fascia, soffit and vents complete (finishing)
Print or download the new-build handover checklist →
Bathroom snagging: 28 checks
Sanitaryware
- WC flushes fully, refills quietly, no movement at the pan (plumbing)
- Basin level, secure to the wall, plug and overflow work (plumbing)
- Bath or tray level; no flex or creak when stood in (plumbing)
- Taps run hot and cold the right way round; no drips at the base (plumbing)
- Shower head, hose and riser rail secure; mixer holds temperature (plumbing)
- Screen or door closes and seals; no leak at the hinge side (finishing)
Tiling and grout
- Tiles flat and level; no lippage you can feel with a fingernail (finishing)
- No cracked, chipped or hollow-sounding tiles (finishing)
- Grout lines full, even width, no pinholes (finishing)
- Movement joints at internal corners are silicone, not grout (finishing)
- Cut tiles at edges neat; trims fitted straight (cosmetic)
Sealant and waterproofing
- Sealant continuous at bath, tray and basin junctions; no gaps or tears (finishing)
- Sealant at the shower screen inside and out (finishing)
- No mould or discolouration in the sealant (cosmetic)
- Tanking visible or certified at the tray upstand (finishing)
- Fill the bath or run the shower for 5 minutes; check the ceiling below (plumbing)
Drainage
- Bath, basin and shower drain fast; no gurgling (plumbing)
- Shower waste trap accessible and clean (plumbing)
- No smell from any waste; traps hold water (plumbing)
Ventilation and electrics
- Extractor runs, has an overrun, and pulls a tissue to the grille (mechanical)
- Extractor ducted to outside, not into the roof space (mechanical)
- Lighting in the correct zone rating; no pendant over the bath (electrical)
- Shaver socket or towel rail wired and earthed; isolator outside the room (electrical)
- Pull cord or outside switch works; no switch reachable from the bath (safety)
Doors, walls and finishes
- Door closes and latches; lock works from inside (finishing)
- Paint or panels free of runs, misses and splashes (cosmetic)
- Mirror, cabinet and accessories level and secure (cosmetic)
- Floor finish sealed at the threshold; no lifting edges (finishing)
Print or download the bathroom snagging checklist →
Kitchen snagging: 26 checks
Units and worktops
- Doors and drawers aligned, level gaps, soft-close works (finishing)
- Handles straight and tight; no missing screws (cosmetic)
- Worktop level; joints filled and sealed; no chips at cut-outs (finishing)
- Sealant at the wall-to-worktop junction continuous (finishing)
- Plinths clipped on and cut round the pipes; end panels fitted (cosmetic)
- Carcasses secure to the wall; shelves and pegs present (finishing)
Appliances
- Hob ignites or heats on every ring; child lock if fitted (electrical)
- Oven heats, light works, door seal intact, shelves supplied (electrical)
- Extractor or hood runs on all speeds and is ducted out (mechanical)
- Dishwasher fills, drains and stops; no leak under the sink after a cycle (plumbing)
- Fridge-freezer level, cold, door seals close (mechanical)
- Washing machine stable; outlet hose secure; run a cycle (plumbing)
Sink and plumbing
- Tap runs hot and cold; no drip; base sealed (plumbing)
- Sink drains fast; waste and overflow tight; check under the cupboard with a torch (plumbing)
- Isolation valves fitted and reachable (plumbing)
- Boiling-water or filter tap, if fitted, works and is isolated (plumbing)
Electrical
- All sockets live; RCD trips on test (electrical)
- Sockets 300 mm from the sink and hob (safety)
- Cooker switch and isolators labelled and reachable (electrical)
- Under-unit and ceiling lights all work (electrical)
Splashback, walls and ceiling
- Tiles or glass splashback flat, sealed at the edges (finishing)
- No cracks or unfilled holes; paint even (cosmetic)
- Ceiling free of stains, especially under a bathroom (cosmetic)
Floor
- Floor level; no lifting edges or hollow spots (finishing)
- Threshold strips fitted; no gaps at the plinths (cosmetic)
- No scratches or damage from the appliance install (cosmetic)
Print or download the kitchen snagging checklist →
After the walk
Number the snags, send the PDF to the site manager and the customer-care address, and keep the numbers for the re-inspection. On the second visit, add an after photo to each snag and close it; the closeout report shows Before and After side by side. How to get the developer to accept the list covers the wording that works.
Questions people ask
How long does the full walk take?
Three to four hours on a three-bedroom house with photographs, less on a flat. The bathroom and kitchen sections are where the time goes, because they need water running.
Do I have to use all 111?
No. Mark N/A on anything that does not apply; the count of checks walked is what prints on the appendix. Most houses use around ninety.
Can I add my own checks?
Yes, during the walk in the app, and save the walk as your own template. On paper, write them in the margin and add them to the template afterwards.