Eleven years on the Garden Route, and I can say with confidence that the moment of sign-off is the single highest-stakes moment in any new build. Once you have signed and paid the final invoice, your contractor’s incentive to fix anything drops considerably.

Here are the five questions I tell every homeowner to ask — and answer in writing — before that final payment goes out.

1. Has every item on the agreed scope been completed to specification?

This sounds obvious. It is not. The most common defect I find on snag inspections is not poor workmanship — it is missing items. Things specified in the contract that simply were not installed. Skirting boards in one room. A specific tile in the laundry. The towel rail in the second bathroom.

Take your contract, take your specification document, and physically check every item against what is in the building. If it is not there, it does not get signed off until it is.

2. Has waterproofing been signed off by the responsible trade?

Waterproofing failures are the single largest cause of post-handover disputes I see. The problem with waterproofing is that you cannot inspect it visually after the finishes are on — by the time the tiles are laid, the membrane is hidden.

Ask for sign-off documentation from the waterproofing contractor. A reputable contractor will provide it. Without it, you are taking the builder’s word that the most failure-prone element of your home was done correctly.

3. Have all electrical and plumbing certifications been issued?

You should have, in writing:

  • An Electrical Compliance Certificate (CoC) — required by law before transfer of any property
  • A Plumbing Compliance Certificate
  • A Gas Compliance Certificate (if gas appliances are installed)
  • Where applicable, an Electric Fence Compliance Certificate

Without these, your insurance is unlikely to be valid in the event of a claim.

The single highest-stakes moment in any new build is sign-off. Once you have signed and paid the final invoice, your contractor’s incentive to fix anything drops considerably.

4. Has an independent snag inspection been completed?

I am, of course, going to say yes to this — it is what we do. But hear me out as a homeowner first.

Your builder has every incentive to declare the project complete. An independent inspector has none of those incentives. We look at the building with fresh eyes and a clipboard, we work to a checklist developed over years, and we produce a written report that obligates the builder to either fix what is wrong or explain in writing why they will not.

The cost of an independent snag inspection is, in almost every case I have seen, less than 1% of the total build cost. The cost of post-handover defects can be many multiples of that.

5. What are the warranty and defect liability terms?

Every reputable South African contractor carries a defect liability period — typically twelve months — during which they remain obligated to return and rectify any defects that emerge. Your contract should specify this clearly.

Equally important: NHBRC registration on your home provides additional structural cover for five years. Make sure your builder’s NHBRC registration applies to your specific build.

The bottom line.

The five questions above are not exhaustive — but they are the five I find most often skipped, and the five that cause the most trouble when they are.

If you would like an independent snag inspection on a Garden Route property, request a free quote. I will be happy to talk you through the process.