Buying a Property

New Build Snagging Costs: What Rectification Work Should Cost in 2026

Understanding the typical cost of rectifying common snagging defects gives you important leverage when negotiating with your developer and helps you assess whether their proposed remedial programme represents genuine commitment. This guide provides realistic 2026 cost estimates for the most frequently occurring snag types.

Published: 1 Jan 2026 · Updated: 1 Mar 2026 · 6 min read

Why Cost Estimates Matter in Snagging

Knowing the cost of rectifying your snags serves two practical purposes. First, it allows you to prioritise — if you are negotiating with a developer who is pushing back on your list, knowing which items carry the greatest financial exposure tells you where to hold firm. Second, if a developer offers you a cash settlement in lieu of remedial works, you need benchmark costs to assess whether the offer is reasonable.

The estimates below reflect 2026 labour and material costs in England, based on industry data and contractor pricing. London and the South East attract a premium of 20–30% over the national figures. All figures are illustrative ranges — actual costs depend on site-specific conditions, access, and extent.

Plasterwork Rectification

Defect type	Typical cost
Reskim one bedroom wall (per wall, materials and labour)	£180 – £320
Reskim full bedroom (all four walls and ceiling)	£600 – £950
Reskim ceiling in living room or kitchen	£350 – £600
Fill and rub down plasterwork blow holes (per room)	£80 – £150
Re-plaster window reveals throughout a 3-bed house	£400 – £700

Developers frequently resist replastering and propose filling and repainting instead. For a ridge at a plasterboard joint, filling and repainting may be acceptable if done well. For a poorly skimmed wall with multiple defects, a full reskim is the appropriate remedy.

Paintwork Rectification

Defect type	Typical cost
Full redecoration of one bedroom (walls, ceiling, woodwork)	£350 – £600
Full redecoration of living room / dining room	£450 – £750
Full redecoration of hall, stairs, and landing	£500 – £900
Redecoration throughout a 3-bedroom house	£2,500 – £4,000
Gloss repaint of all internal doors and architraves	£800 – £1,400

Note that if the developer's contractor repaints one wall only, there is a risk of colour mismatch — paint ages and batches vary. For extensive paintwork defects, insist on full-room redecoration rather than patch repairs.

Tiling and Wet Areas

Defect type	Typical cost
Relay bathroom floor tiles (materials and labour, per bathroom)	£600 – £1,100
Replace cracked tiles and regrout (per 5 tiles)	£200 – £400
Regrout shower enclosure and reseal with silicone	£150 – £280
Relay en suite floor and wall tiles where lippage excessive	£800 – £1,600
Reseal bath and shower tray throughout a 3-bed house	£120 – £200

Tile lippage disputes are common. Developers frequently argue that lippage is within tolerance. NHBC's Technical Standards reference BS 5385 (Wall and Floor Tiling) as the benchmark — lippage in excess of 1 mm on wall tiles and 2 mm on floor tiles is generally a defect under that standard.

Joinery and Doors

Defect type	Typical cost
Rehang one internal door (adjust hinges, plane if needed)	£80 – £150
Rehang all internal doors in a 3-bedroom house	£700 – £1,200
Refit skirting boards throughout one room	£200 – £380
Replace and refit all skirting boards in a 3-bedroom house	£1,200 – £2,200
Adjust staircase balustrade (tighten, refix balusters)	£150 – £350

Kitchen Defects

Defect type	Typical cost
Realign one row of kitchen units (adjust legs, refit doors)	£300 – £600
Refit kitchen to correct standard (complete reinstallation, 3-bed house)	£1,500 – £3,000
Relay kitchen floor tiles	£600 – £1,200
Replace one section of worktop and reseal	£300 – £600

Kitchen defects are among the highest-value items on a snagging list. A poorly fitted kitchen that is "out of square" by more than a few millimetres may require a full refit to correct properly — not merely an adjustment of door hinges and unit legs.

External Defects

Defect type	Typical cost
Repoint one elevation of brickwork	£600 – £2,000
Relay driveway (per 20 sqm of block paving)	£1,200 – £2,400
Correct gutter falls and refix one run	£150 – £350
Replace section of render	£400 – £900 per elevation depending on area

Using Cost Estimates in Negotiations

If a developer offers a cash settlement rather than rectification, compare it to the cost estimates above. A settlement that falls below 75% of the estimated remedial cost is generally inadequate — factor in the inconvenience of managing contractors yourself, the risk of cost overrun, and any decoration required after remedial works.

Our [new build snagging calculator](/new-build-snagging-calculator) allows you to input the defects on your own snagging list and generate an estimated total remedial value, which you can use as the basis for any settlement negotiation or NHOS complaint.