NHBC Standards general requirements · 20 checks · proplot.co.uk
The checks that apply at every key stage — workmanship and tolerances, materials, weather protection, concealed-work evidence and close-out of previous items.
20 checks · Reviewed by the ProPlot site team · How we write these guides
In short
General quality checks apply at every visit rather than a single stage. They cover workmanship and tolerances against the scoring standard, materials matching the specification, weather protection of exposed work, photographic evidence of concealed elements before covering, and the close-out of Reportable Items raised at earlier visits.
Not every Reportable Item belongs to a stage. A large share of what gets written up on a UK housing site is general: workmanship that falls below the scoring standard, materials that do not match what was specified, work left exposed to frost, or previous items quietly left open. These are the ones that shape how an inspector scores the site as a whole, and site scoring affects inspection frequency.
This list is deliberately stage-agnostic. Use it as a weekly quality walk rather than a pre-inspection check — one pass around the plots with these twenty items catches most of what would otherwise turn up on an inspection report. It is also the list to hand a new assistant site manager, because it teaches the habits that keep the other checklists short.
Two items on it matter more than the rest. First, photographic evidence of concealed work before it is covered: it is the only defence you have when someone questions a buried detail months later. Second, closing out previous items with a date and an image. Open RIs carried between visits are the fastest way to a poor score.
When it happens
Weekly, and immediately before any booked key stage inspection. It costs half an hour and consistently removes items from the inspector's report.
Who inspects
You. The warranty inspector applies the same standards during any visit, and your score is partly a judgement on general site management rather than a single stage.
If it fails
Poor general quality raises inspection frequency, invites closer scrutiny of everything else, and produces the reputational damage of a low site score in front of your technical team and your buyers.
Concealed work cannot be re-photographed later. Take these before the element is covered and file them against the plot.
A Reportable Item (RI) is a defect the inspector records against the plot. NHBC weigh each one by its Damage Potential, and the score feeds your site's Construction Quality Review. These are the ones raised most often here:
The measurable values most often argued about at the general quality visit, each traced to an openly published source. Take a tape to the ones that apply before you book.
| What | Value | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Flatness of a finished plasterboard surfaceMeasured on the finished surface in any direction, away from internal cornersCheck with a raking light before decoration — paint makes deviations more obvious, not less. | Within 3 mm under a 1.8 m straightedge | tolerance |
| Floor deck fixing centresBoards laid with the long edge across the joists and joints staggeredCheck fixings land on joist centres and that expansion gaps at the perimeter have been left. | 300 mm at supported edges, 500 mm at intermediate joists | Maximum |
| Floor joist end bearing on masonryBearing directly onto masonry or a wall plate; joist hangers follow the hanger manufacturer's seating insteadCheck the joist is fully seated and not packed up on slate or offcuts. | 90 mm | Minimum |
| Joist bearing and pointingTimber joists require a minimum bearing surface, typically 90mm, on supporting masonry or timber to ensure stable load transferCheck that all joists have the specified minimum bearing and that their ends in masonry are correctly pointed or protected. | 90 mm | Minimum |
| Lateral restraint for concrete floorsConcrete floors offer lateral restraint to walls when they bear a minimum of 90mm onto the masonryCheck the bearing of concrete floor slabs onto walls; where insufficient, confirm presence, length, and spacing of restraint straps. | 90 mm | Minimum |
| Lateral restraint for timber floorsTimber floors can provide lateral restraint to masonry walls if joists have a minimum 90mm bearing onto the wallVerify joist bearing width or the correct installation and specification of restraint straps or hangers where joist bearing is insufficient. | 90 mm | Minimum |
| Light steel floor joist spacing and designLight steel floor joists should typically be installed at a maximum spacing of 600mm centre-to-centre, although wider spacings may be permitted if specifically engineeredCheck joist spacing, type, and location against design drawings and ensure all floor openings have appropriately sized trimmers. | 600 mm | Maximum |
| Plasterboard fixing centresFixings kept at least 10 mm from cut edges and 13 mm from bound edgesCheck a bay per plot before jointing, including the fixing depth — screws must dimple, not tear the paper. | 200 mm to ceilings, 300 mm to walls, and 150 mm at board ends | Maximum |
| Strutting rows by joist spanHerringbone or solid strutting, tight between joists and restrained at the endsCheck strutting is fitted before decking goes down — retrofitting it through a finished floor is impractical. | One row over 2.5 m span; two rows over 4.5 m | Minimum |
0 of 20 ticked — saved on this device
Check workmanship standard meets NHBC Quality Common Scoring requirements (NHBC 1.1)
NHBC 1.1Verify construction tolerances are within acceptable limits per NHBC Standards (NHBC 1.1)
NHBC 1.1Confirm correct mortar mix and specification is being used across all trades (BS EN 1996)
BS EN 1996Check all trade interface details are coordinated and correctly sequenced (NHBC 1.1)
NHBC 1.1Verify materials on site match specification and approved product datasheets (NHBC 1.1)
NHBC 1.1Check that work complies with current Building Regulations and approved drawings (Building Regs)
Building RegsConfirm structural elements match engineer specification (steel, timber, masonry) (AD A)
AD AVerify site is tidy and well-managed with materials stored correctly (NHBC 1.1)
NHBC 1.1Check weather protection measures are in place for exposed work (NHBC 1.1)
NHBC 1.1Confirm drainage and service runs are protected from construction traffic damage (AD H)
AD HCheck DPC and damp-proofing details are continuous and undamaged (AD C)
AD CCheck waterproofing details at all vulnerable junctions (abutments, thresholds, window cills) (AD C)
AD CVerify fire stopping and cavity barrier installations are complete at all required positions (AD B)
AD BVerify insulation continuity with no thermal bridging at junctions (AD L1A)
AD L1AVerify ventilation provisions meet Part F requirements at all locations (AD F)
AD FConfirm all previous Reportable Items (RIs) from prior inspections have been closed out (NHBC 1.4)
NHBC 1.4Check photographic evidence has been captured for concealed elements before covering (BREL)
BRELVerify building control / warranty provider notifications are up to date for stage sign-off (NHBC 1.4)
NHBC 1.4Confirm all safety-critical items are flagged and resolved before next stage (CDM 2015)
CDM 2015Confirm Health & Safety provisions are adequate for the work in progress (CDM 2015)
CDM 2015These apply on every visit at every stage. They are also the things an inspector notices in the first thirty seconds and that colour everything else they look at. No inspector will fail the visit on these — they are the difference between a plot that passes and a plot that hands over clean.
Store materials undercover and off the ground from the moment they land
Wet plasterboard, warped timber and contaminated aggregate are pure waste, and damaged materials build defects into the plot.
When: On delivery, every delivery.
Keep a clean, safe route into and through every plot
An inspector picking their way over debris starts the visit already looking for problems, and the trades work slower.
When: Daily.
Protect finished work at every trade handover, and make it somebody's job
Most damage happens between trades, when nobody owns the plot. Name the person who checks it in and out.
When: At every trade change.
Photograph everything before it is covered up, with the plot number in shot
Photographic evidence is now expected by warranty providers and it is your entire defence in a dispute.
When: Continuously.
Keep a live record of what has been inspected, what was raised and what closed it out
A plot with a clean, current record gets an easier visit than one where the answers have to be found.
When: After every visit.
Brief the next trade on what they must not damage or cut
Airtightness tapes, fire stopping, insulation and labelled services all get destroyed by people who did not know they mattered.
When: At the start of each trade's work.
55 inspection points that apply at the general quality stage, each written in our own words from openly published guidance, with how to check it on site and what counts as acceptable. Use the checklist above on the day and this register when you need to settle a detail.
Substituted products
A merchant supplies an equivalent and nobody checks it against the specification or the SAP inputs. Record every substitution and get it approved.
Medium — but it depresses the site’s Quality Common Score.
Masonry built in frost
Unprotected work in cold or wet weather produces damage that appears weeks later. Cover the work and record that you did.
Medium — inspectors abandon visits they cannot carry out safely.
RIs carried forward
Items that "will be done with the next lift" appear on the next report as repeats, which carry more weight than a first mention.
Medium — records are the cheapest thing on site to get right.
No photographs of buried work
Reinforcement, trays, barriers and insulation are all invisible within days. A dated, plot-tagged image takes seconds and settles arguments.
Low to medium — quick to fix, quick to recur.
ProPlot's audit tool includes these general quality checks as interactive helpers — tick items off, attach GPS-stamped photos, and share the report with your inspector in one tap. Free while in beta.
The key stage inspection sequence on a typical UK housing plot.
Excavation & foundations
21 checks →
Drainage
20 checks →
Basement / lower ground
28 checks →
Ground Floor & Slab
19 checks →
Superstructure
22 checks →
Timber Frame Erection
21 checks →
Roof
22 checks →
Windows and External Doors
24 checks →
Insulation & Airtightness
23 checks →
First Fix
28 checks →
Fire Stopping
22 checks →
Pre-Plaster
21 checks →
Second Fix
31 checks →
External Works & Pre-Handover
23 checks →
Pre-handover
22 checks →
Snag lists with GPS photo evidence
How to record and close out defects with evidence that stands up at handover.
NHBC stage inspections on site
Running key stage inspections and keeping the paperwork straight.
Build programme scheduling
Generating and maintaining plot-by-plot build programmes.
BREL report photo requirements
What Part L photographic evidence has to show, and when.
Our free, cited reference library — critical dimensions, build stage guidance, common defects and plain-English guides.
Discover how ProPlot covers every corner of UK site management.
Part L photographic evidence requirements.
Cut evening admin and automate reporting.
Build, slip and share 52-week programmes.
NHBC inspections, Part L evidence and audit trails.
Offline audits, GPS snagging and contractor portals.
Get practical tips for UK site managers — programme hacks, compliance shortcuts and feature updates. No spam.