What highway authority inspectors look for on Section 38 adoption inspections, from kerb lines and ironworks to tactile paving and surfacing defects.
Why S38 snagging lists get long
Estate roads take a beating during the build. By the time a Section 38 inspection is booked, kerbs have been clipped by deliveries, gullies are silted, ironworks sit proud or low, and surfacing has been patched around late service connections. The highway authority will list all of it before adopting the road as publicly maintainable.
Walk the site against this list
Before you request the inspection, check each of the following:
- Kerb lines: chipped, rocking, out of line or incorrect upstands
- Carriageway: patching, depressions, cracking and joint quality
- Ironworks: gullies, covers and chambers set flush and correctly bedded
- Drainage: gullies cleaned, connections proven, no standing water
- Footways: trip hazards, level differences and reinstatement quality
- Tactile paving: correct type, colour, alignment and crossing layout
- Street furniture, lighting columns and sign positions
- Tabletops, ramps and speed features built to the approved detail
Fix in one visit, not five
The costly mistake is repairing defects piecemeal as the authority re-inspects. Price and programme the whole snagging list in one mobilisation — kerbing, ironworks, surfacing and flags together — so the maintenance period starts on time and your bond is released without another round of visits.