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Barratt Homes · David Wilson Homes · London-wide

Barratt Homes
Snagging Inspection London

Barratt Group builds more homes than any other UK developer. Volume brings predictable patterns, and predictable shortcomings. We inspect Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes properties across London, flats and houses, before you complete.

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What we consistently find on Barratt sites

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Flooring, raised edges and soft spots
Walk every inch of the floor. Any bounce or flex indicates poor substrate preparation. Raised LVT or laminate edges are a trip hazard and a defect. Repair: £800-1,800 per room.
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Ventilation failures
Paper test on every vent before handover. Barratt developments frequently have MEV systems not commissioned to the design specification, so vents fail the paper test on the day.
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Staircase balustrade fixings (houses)
Barratt houses. Check every balustrade post for movement. Any wobble is a structural defect and a safety issue. Fix before you move in.
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Kitchen worktop joints
Joints between worktop sections must be tight and sealed. Gaps allow water ingress and will cause swelling within months. Kitchen repair: from £200 per joint.
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Window sill cracking
Hairline cracks in window sills appear on many Barratt completions within the first winter. Document them at handover, because they are harder to claim later.
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External render (houses)
Cracks and hollow spots in external render are common. Tap with a knuckle. A hollow sound indicates debonding. External render repair: £150-400 per area.
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Bathroom extractor fans
Separate from the MVHR/MEV system, bathroom extractor fans are often not wired to the lighting circuit correctly, or not ducted to outside.
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Garden drainage (houses)
Soil levels against the house wall must be below the DPC (damp proof course). Check every house, because contractors regularly finish grading with soil too high against the wall.

What the public record shows

Barratt merged with Redrow to become Barratt Redrow, the largest housebuilder in the country. Its own reporting sets out how much remedial work the business is funding, which is a useful gauge of how often things need putting right.

Barratt Redrow reported that around 280 buildings need building safety fixes, with 194 of them either out to tender or already being remediated by early 2026.
Building, 2026
The group set aside about £829m for repair work in a single half year, spent £73m during it, and held a further £187m provision for concrete frame remediation.
Barratt Redrow results, 2025
Newly found legacy defects at two developments added around £248m in costs, including roughly £80m at one southern development whose buildings were completed in 2002.
Construction Wave, 2025
In May 2025 the group won a Supreme Court case confirming that companies in the supply chain share responsibility for remediating defects, which it is using to recover costs from contractors.
Construction News, 2025
Barratt and Redrow have both drawn renewed scrutiny from homeowner groups and parliamentary committees over the quality of their new homes.
Parliamentary and consumer reporting, 2025

A defect found on the day you complete is the developer's problem. The same defect found a year later can easily become yours. That is the reason to inspect before you sign.

Frequently asked questions

Is Barratt Homes a good developer?

Barratt Group (Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes) is the UK's largest housebuilder by volume. They build to a competent standard, consistently better than some peers and consistently below what buyers expect. In our experience, Barratt completions have 40-75 defects per unit. David Wilson Homes units tend to have slightly fewer than Barratt Homes branded units.

What is the difference between Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes?

David Wilson Homes is Barratt Group's premium brand, with slightly higher specification, slightly higher price and marginally fewer defects on average. The inspection process and our approach are identical for both.

Barratt have an 'aftercare' team. Is that not enough?

No. Barratt's aftercare team manages your defect claims after completion, for Barratt. They are not independent. An independent snagging inspection before completion gives you a documented baseline of every defect on handover day. This is your most powerful tool for holding Barratt to account under their NHQC obligations.

Do you inspect Barratt houses as well as flats?

Yes. Barratt and David Wilson Homes deliver a high proportion of houses. Houses have additional checks: external render, staircase balustrades, drainage around the plot, garden grading, external doors and gates, roof overhangs and guttering. We check all of these as standard on house inspections.

How many defects should I expect from a Barratt new build?

In our experience: 40-75 for a flat, more for a house with external elements. The number is less important than the category. Our reports tell you which defects are legally enforceable, which are NHBC warranty items, and which are cosmetic, so you know where to spend your energy.

Can I inspect a Barratt property on a new estate that is not finished yet?

Yes, as long as your specific plot is completed and your developer has confirmed a handover date. You do not need to wait until the estate is fully built. You need access to your plot only, which the developer must provide under the New Homes Quality Code.

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We inspect all Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes sites across London. Book in 2 minutes.

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Other developers we inspect

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Related pages

→ Snagging survey cost London 2026→ What is a snagging inspection?→ What every defect costs to fix→ About BluntSnag, built by Ben Walker