Walls & Ceilings snags
The category where 'normal settlement' gets quoted the most — knowing what's tolerance vs. what's defect is the whole game.
What to check
- CracksRun a hand over every wall corner and ceiling line. Hairline cracks are common at first heating cycle; wider ones aren't.
- Nail popsSmall round bumps where a fixing has pushed back through the plaster. Most common on ceilings.
- Uneven plasterStand at a corner and look down the line of the wall. Bulges, dips and wave-shaped runs are visible in raking light.
- Plaster damageKnocks at corner beads, scrapes near switch plates, chips around socket boxes.
- Ceiling-to-wall linesThe seam between ceiling and wall should be a clean straight line. Wavy or stepped lines are a snag.
What’s normal vs. what’s a snag
See the full explanation of NHBC viewing distances, allowed tolerances and where to push back in our pillar guide: What “within tolerance” really means →
Ready to get the walls and ceilings right?
Tell us what you need — we'll personally match you with a vetted local plasterer, free.
Get matched with a plasterer — freeRelated categories
Run a full inspection with David
David is our free AI snagging assistant. He’ll walk you through every room, log each snag with photos, and generate a PDF report you can send to your builder.
Start a Free Snagging Session