Helpful video reference. Electrician In London Vlog's new-build fault-finding walkthrough is the video reference here. The channel is run by a working London electrician and this particular video covers real faults found on a live new-build site — the kind of issues that get past building control but not a careful homeowner. "Electrical Fault Finding In A DODGY New Build | Electrician In London Vlog" makes a useful watch before you move in.
1. Arrange a snagging inspection before legal completion
The best time to find new-build faults is before you exchange contracts and accept legal ownership. A professional snagging company will produce a written report of defects. Any faults recorded at this stage are on the developer's to-do list as a condition of handover.
If you have already moved in, start your own snagging list immediately. The NHBC two-year builder warranty runs from legal completion, not from when you first notice a problem. Faults reported in month 23 that have existed since day one can still be disputed on the grounds that they were not reported promptly.
2. Test every socket with a plug-in tester
A plug-in socket tester costs between £5 and £15 from any hardware shop or online. Plug it into every single and double socket in the house, including those in the kitchen, bathroom shaver unit (if applicable), garage, and any outside socket. The tester shows a pattern of lights that indicates correct wiring or flags problems: missing earth, live and neutral transposed, or a live-to-earth fault.
Any socket that does not show the correct pattern is a defect. Note the room and position in your snagging list and photograph the tester display in situ so the reading and the socket location are clear in the same frame.
3. Check all lights, switches and dimmers
Go room by room and operate every light switch and dimmer. Check ceiling roses, spotlights, wall lights, bathroom extractor fans, cooker hood extractors, and any outdoor or garage lighting. A light that does not illuminate, a dimmer that flickers at low levels when it should not, or a two-way switch where one switch does not work are all defects to record.
Check that bathroom and en-suite ceiling pull cords are installed where specified on the planning documents, and that any zone 1 or zone 2 fittings in bathrooms carry the correct IP rating (usually IP44 or IP65) rather than a standard interior fitting.
4. Test the RCD at the consumer unit
Open the consumer unit cover (the hinged cover over the breakers — do not open the main enclosure, which is the box itself behind the cover). You will see a row of circuit breakers and at least one RCD or RCBO. Each device with a TEST button should be tested.
Press the TEST button. The device should trip immediately with a click. If it does not trip, that is a serious defect — the RCD is non-functional. Once it has tripped, switch it back on and confirm the circuits it protects have power. If it trips back off on its own, or if any circuit fails to restore, note the fault and do not use that circuit until it has been inspected. See the separate guide on how to test an RCD for more detail.
5. Check the consumer unit labelling
Every circuit breaker must be labelled in a new build. Look at the labels now and compare them against what the circuits actually are. Switch each breaker off one at a time and confirm which lights and sockets lose power. A label that says "Ring 1" but controls the upstairs lights is an error. Any breaker with no label, or a generic label such as "Spare", that is actually live is a defect.
At the same time, check the distribution board looks neat and professional. Loose cable cores inside the board, bare conductor visible outside a terminal, or cables with no identification sleeving are all issues worth recording.
6. Record everything with photos and timestamps
Your snagging list is only as strong as your evidence. For every fault, photograph the tester display in the socket, the unlabelled breaker, the non-functional fitting, or the visible wiring defect. Smartphone photos are fine — they include an automatic timestamp and GPS location that you can reference later. Write a brief description alongside each photo: room, fault observed, date.
Use a snagging app (there are several free ones) or a simple numbered spreadsheet. A numbered list makes it easy to track which faults have been fixed and which are outstanding when the developer's trades come back to repair.
7. Submit a formal written snagging list to the developer
Email the complete list to the developer's customer care team. Keep email rather than phone calls — you need an auditable record of what was reported and when. Reference the NHBC Buildmark two-year builder warranty in your covering note, and give a reasonable deadline (14 days is standard for non-urgent defects; shorter for anything involving safety). Keep a copy of everything you send.
Developers vary considerably in how they respond to snagging. Some are organised and efficient; others are slow until the NHBC is mentioned. If the customer care team is unresponsive within the deadline, follow up in writing and state that you will contact NHBC if the matter is not resolved.
8. Escalate to NHBC or commission an independent EICR
NHBC has a resolution service for disputes between homeowners and developers during the two-year warranty period. You can start a resolution request directly on the NHBC website. Having a written snagging list with photographic evidence already makes your case straightforward.
For disputed electrical faults — or where the developer claims the wiring is correct and you believe it is not — an independent EICR from a registered electrician (NICEIC, NAPIT or ELECSA registered) carries real weight. The EICR documents every non-compliant item against BS 7671 and assigns a code (C1 for danger, C2 for potentially dangerous, C3 for improvement recommended). Developers and NHBC take C1 and C2 findings seriously.
When to call us
Richard provides independent EICR inspections that produce the kind of formal, BS 7671 referenced report that developers and NHBC respond to. If you are in east Kent and have electrical concerns about a new build, call or send a WhatsApp message with a brief description and he will advise on the best approach before any commitment.
Independent EICR for a new-build in east Kent?
Richard carries out EICR inspections that produce formal, coded reports referenced to BS 7671 — the kind of evidence that gets new-build defects taken seriously.
Contact Richard