Snags are normal, and most builders sort them. But when one digs in — ignores your emails, disputes obvious defects, or just goes quiet — it's easy to feel stuck. You're not. There's a clear, free escalation ladder, and simply knowing the next rung changes how a builder deals with you. Here it is, in order.
Everything that follows relies on a paper trail, so start one. Email your snags as a single, numbered list with dated photos, and keep every reply. A phone call vanishes; a written, dated record is what every route below is built on — including the builder's silence, which becomes part of your evidence too.
Every registered developer must have a formal complaints procedure— and there's a real difference between “chasing customer care” and formally raising a complaint. Do the latter, in writing, and say so explicitly. That starts the clock that gives you the right to escalate.
If your home is covered by the New Homes Quality Codeand the developer hasn't resolved your complaint within 56 days (8 weeks) — or has sent a final closure letter — you can refer it to the free, independent New Homes Ombudsman Service. You have two years from reservation or completion (whichever is later) to do so. The Ombudsman can order the builder to apologise, complete the works or make good the defects, and pay compensation for losses and for stress and inconvenience — up to £75,000.
Not every builder is signed up to the New Homes Quality Code. If yours isn't, they're very likely covered by the Consumer Code for Home Builders or the Consumer Code for New Homes instead — each with its own free independent dispute-resolution / adjudication scheme. Check your purchase paperwork to see which applies; the route is similar, just under a different scheme.
Separately from the builder, your warranty provider (NHBC Buildmark, LABC, Premier Guarantee and others) has its own resolution service, and covers major structural defects for up to ten years. In the first two years many providers can help resolve builder disputes; after that, cover narrows to serious structural issues. Read your policy — the cover and process are set out in it.
If the schemes don't resolve it, you can take legal advice, and for smaller sums the small claims track is designed to be used without a solicitor. Keep this in reserve — the routes above are free and usually quicker — but know that a documented breach of contract or of the code is exactly the kind of evidence that gives you options here.
It comes down to two things in your paperwork: which code your builder is registered under (New Homes Quality Code → New Homes Ombudsman; or a Consumer Code → its own adjudicator), and who provides your structural warranty (NHBC, LABC, Premier Guarantee, etc.). Dig those two facts out first and the right ladder becomes obvious. Our guide on who can actually help walks through matching your home to the right route.
Stay firm but fair, and let the paper trail do the heavy lifting. You don't need to be aggressive — you need to be organised. A calm, dated, numbered record that quietly references the code timeframes and the standard each defect breaches tells a builder you know exactly where you stand, which is usually enough to get things moving before you ever need the Ombudsman.
Every route on this ladder runs on evidence — a dated record of what you reported and how the builder responded. When you review your builder on Rate My New Build, you build exactly that: a timestamped, on-the-record account that's free, anonymous, and genuinely useful if you ever escalate — while showing the next buyer how this builder really handles problems. It also gives the builder a right of reply, so it's fair to both sides.
Put it on the record — how they handled it, good or bad. Free, anonymous, a few minutes.
Review your builderGeneral information, not legal advice, and it doesn't override your warranty terms or contract. Which code and Ombudsman or adjudication scheme covers your home, the timeframes, and warranty cover all depend on your builder's registration and your policy — check your own paperwork and the current New Homes Quality Board, Consumer Code and warranty-provider guidance, or take professional advice if in doubt.