Cupboards and drawers: what counts as a snag?
Doors and drawers should look aligned, vertically, horizontally and from above, with even gaps where they sit side by side. They should work the way the maker intended. The official inspection checklist adds that they open and close without catching, soft-close drawers work, and handles are undamaged and fitted square.
There is no measurement for the gaps. NHBC sets no tolerance for door and drawer gaps or alignment, because some variation comes from adjusting them during fitting. So judge by eye. A door visibly higher than its neighbour, or a gap clearly wider at one end, goes on the list.
How close should I look for scratches?
From half a metre, in daylight. That is the distance NHBC's standards and the official checklist use for kitchen units and worktops. If the kitchen has no window, use the room's own ceiling lights, not a torch.
Scratches and chips are urgent. NHBC doesn't cover cosmetic damage reported more than seven days after completion. Check the worktops and unit doors first, and photograph any marks before your furniture and boxes arrive.
Will they replace a scratched door or worktop?
Not always. NHBC's standards say scratches made while fitting should be dealt with the way the maker recommends. That may mean filling, polishing out, respraying or painting, rather than a new part. If a repair is still conspicuous from half a metre in daylight, it hasn't met the standard, so it can go back on the list.
Look closely at the units either side of the hob and under the cooker hood. NHBC says kitchen units shouldn't delaminate (the surface layer peeling away from the board), including those near hobs and extractors. Peeling can start after you move in, and under NHBC's Buildmark the builder must put it right if you report it in the first two years.
Worktop joints and sealant
Where two worktops meet, there shouldn't be a significant difference in level. LABC Warranty's tolerances put it more strictly: no visible change in level at the join. NHBC sets no number for the join itself, because small differences in height may be unavoidable.
Sealant along the back of the worktop and round the sink should be smooth, neat and free of blisters. The official checklist asks for complete seals wherever water meets a joint.
A trick we used a coin rolled slowly along the worktop over each joint. If it catches on the join, it is worth a closer look.
How do I check under the sink for leaks?
Run the taps for a few minutes, then look under the sink at every joint in the pipes. The official checklist asks for taps that work the right way round with adequate flow, and joints visibly free from leaks. Snaggit, which makes a snagging app, suggests laying kitchen roll around the joints. Even a slow drip shows on the paper within a few minutes.
Testing the appliances
Switch on everything the builder fitted. The official checklist covers the hob or cooker, fridge and freezer, dishwasher and washing machine, and any other appliance. The dishwasher should drain, and the washing machine should have its transit bolts removed (the bolts that stop the drum moving in delivery). The switches for each appliance should be labelled.
Faults that show up later are still the builder's. Under the Consumer Code for Home Builders, its after-sales service should repair or replace appliances it provided that develop faults in the first two years. Wear and tear and misuse are excluded. The builder should also give you the details of every guarantee and warranty for the appliances.
The cooker hood
Building regulations guidance sets a minimum extract rate for a kitchen. It is lower when the cooker hood extracts to the outside. A hood that only filters the air and blows it back into the room doesn't count on its own. If yours has no duct to the outside, ask the builder what else extracts from the kitchen.
Run the hood on every speed. If the maker gives no height, the guidance puts an extracting hood 650mm to 750mm above the hob.
Is the hob level?
No standard gives a figure for how a hob sits. The nearest is the official checklist, which asks for kitchen fittings that are securely fixed, visually aligned and level. Look at the hob from the side, at eye level, and from above against the worktop edge. A hob that sits proud on one side, or out of square with the cut-out, goes on the list.
A trick we used a phone spirit-level app laid on the hob glass. It is only a rough check.