Checking the Developer's Defect Repairs
Re-test Every Fix Before You Sign Off (2026)

Why the re-inspection matters

Most owners put real effort into the first defect list and very little into checking what comes back. Yet the re-inspection is the moment the developer asks you to confirm the work is done. Once you sign an item off, reopening it is harder. ClickBina's guide to claiming new-house defects is clear that the developer's obligation is to repair the defect, not merely to acknowledge it, and that a repair that is incomplete, substandard or recurs should be documented again and notified in writing.

Typical poor repairs

Some repairs look finished on the day and fail within weeks. These are the patterns to look for:

ClickBina's guide to cracks between brick walls and columns recommends asking for joint cracks to be repaired properly with mesh or sealant rather than filled and painted, and the window leak guide warns that smearing new silicone over old silicone almost always fails.

How to re-test each fix

• Water and ponding: pour water at the far corner of the floor again and watch it reach the trap.
• Leaks from above: wait for a heavy rain or ask for the wet area above to be flooded, then check the ceiling again.
• Hidden supply leaks: repeat the meter test: everything off, photograph the meter, wait, photograph again.
• Tiles: tap every tile in the repaired area and the ones around it, not only the replaced tiles.
• Cracks and plaster: look at the repair with a torch held flat to the wall; a patch should not stand proud or show a different texture.
• Doors and windows: open, close and lock them several times; pour water into window tracks again.
• Electrical: plug the socket tester back into every repaired point and press the RCCB test button.

The handover water damage check sets out the pour, flow and meter tests in full. Use the same tests for the re-check, so your before and after records match.

A freshly painted patch is a question, not an answer

A square of new paint on an otherwise uniform ceiling means a repair has been made. The handover guide's advice is to ask what was found and what was done, in writing, before you accept. That matters most for water: a painted-over stain on a dry day tells you nothing about the next storm. If the repair sits under a wet area, ask for the area above to be tested, or wait for rain before you sign.

Give repairs time to show

Some fixes can be judged on the day, such as a socket, a door closer or a replaced tile. Others need time. Waterproofing and leak repairs need water: rain, a flood test or normal use for a few weeks. Crack repairs need a few weeks of the building's normal movement. It is reasonable to accept the items that can be judged now and to note the rest as "pending re-test" rather than signing the whole list off at once.

What to write on the sign-off form

Developers usually ask you to sign a rectification or acceptance form. Read it before you sign. Practical wording that protects you:

• Accept item by item, using the numbers from your original defect list.
• Write "accepted" only against items you re-tested and that passed.
• Write "not accepted" or "outstanding" against the rest, with a short reason.
• Write "pending re-test after rain" against water-related items you could not test.
• Sign, date and photograph the completed form, and ask for a copy.

If the form only offers a single signature for "all defects rectified", add your list of exceptions on its face before you sign. If you are unsure what the form does, ask the solicitor who acted on your purchase.

Repeat defects and new defects

A defect that comes back after a repair goes on a new written notice with its original number, the repair date and the date it returned. New defects that appear during the 24-month period go on a fresh list in the same way. Keep everything in one folder: the first list, the developer's replies, the repair dates, the re-test photographs and each signed form. ClickBina's handover guide quotes the statutory wording that the developer must make good within 30 days of receiving written notice.

If repairs are refused or poor

Send a second written notice listing the items still outstanding. If the developer still does not act, the Tribunal for Homebuyer Claims hears claims up to RM50,000, as set out in ClickBina's HDA homebuyer rights guide. Your re-test records are the evidence for that claim. The tribunal guide for water leak claims covers the time limits for filing, so check them early.

If you decide to fix an item yourself after the developer refuses, these published ClickBina figures give a sense of the cost (indicative 2026, Klang Valley):

Booking a re-inspection

ClickBina offers a defect inspection service in KL & Selangor that covers re-inspections as well as the first VP check. We re-test each item on your original list, record what passed and what did not with photo references, and can carry out the rectification the developer does not cover. To keep your list organised as you go, tick your defects room by room with ClickBina's checklist tool. A site visit to price repair works is RM150, waived if you proceed, and it is not the inspection fee. We reply within the hour, we are registered with SSM, and the price we agree is a flat price with no hidden charges.

Sources & methodology

• ClickBina new-house defects guide — incomplete, substandard or recurring repairs are documented and notified again.
• ClickBina handover water damage check — the statutory wording (24 months; 30 days of written notice), the freshly painted patch advice, the water tests and the leak detection, PU injection and re-waterproofing prices.
• ClickBina HDA homebuyer rights guide — the Tribunal for Homebuyer Claims hears claims up to RM50,000.
• ClickBina guides to cracks between brick walls and columns, window leaks, popped floor tiles and cracks in a new house — proper repair methods and tile and skim coat prices.
• ClickBina after-storm home checklist — the RM150 site visit, which is not the inspection fee.

Methodology: prices are ClickBina indicative 2026 Klang Valley figures from the guide named beside each. This page is general guidance, not legal advice.