New Build & Pre-Delivery
Independent Owner's Representative for New-Build Yachts
Protect your investment from contract signing through delivery with independent technical oversight, shipyard inspections, payment milestone verification and pre-delivery acceptance.
Recent Projects
Independent oversight on new-build programmes at leading European shipyards, including:
What an owner's surveyor actually does
A custom or semi-custom yacht represents one of the largest investments most owners will ever make. An independent owner's representative protects that investment throughout the build, ensuring quality, specification and contractual milestones are independently verified before payment is released.
SVG Marine works exclusively for you — not the shipyard, designer or broker. We attend the yard at agreed milestones, carry out new-build yacht inspections against the build specification and contract drawings, identify defects before they are concealed by finishings, and provide independent sign-off on every payment stage.
Our experience spans leading European shipyards across motor yachts, sailing yachts and performance catamarans up to 240ft. Where required, we also fold MCA coding examination and tonnage measurement into the build programme so certification is in place at handover.
Scope of service
Contract & specification review
Independent review before signing.
Stage inspections
Hull, structure, machinery, systems, finish.
Monthly progress reports
Photo-documented written reports.
Quality control
Defect identification before sign-off.
Payment milestone verification
Independent confirmation before release.
Factory acceptance & sea trials
Attendance and reporting.
Pre-delivery inspection
Final inspection before handover.
Punch-list management
Tracking through to closure.
Coding & registration support
MCA coding, tonnage, flag liaison.
Inside the build shed
A glimpse from recent new-build inspection assignments — composite hull and superstructure construction, structural close-up before fit-out, electrical and freshwater installation and finished cabin joinery.
Frequently asked questions
What does an owner's surveyor do on a new-build yacht?
An owner's surveyor provides independent oversight on behalf of the buyer — attending the shipyard at agreed milestones, carrying out new-build yacht inspections against the build specification and contract, identifying defects before they're concealed, verifying payment stages and reporting back independently to the owner.
Why use an independent owner's surveyor?
The shipyard, designer and broker all have a commercial interest in the project completing on their terms. An independent owner's surveyor works only for the buyer — catching specification deviations, quality issues and payment-milestone disputes early, while they're still cheap to fix.
When should I appoint an owner's surveyor?
Ideally before contract signature, so the build specification and contract can be reviewed independently. If the contract is already signed, an owner's surveyor can still be appointed at any stage — the earlier the better.
Which shipyards do you work with?
SVG Marine has new-build yacht inspection experience across major European shipyards in the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, France and Turkey — covering motor yachts, sailing yachts and performance catamarans up to 240ft.
How often do you attend the shipyard?
Attendance is scoped to the build programme — typically a kickoff visit, then monthly progress inspections, plus attendance at the major milestones: hull close-out, machinery installation, systems commissioning, factory acceptance, harbour acceptance, sea trials and the final pre-delivery inspection.
Can the owner's surveyor manage coding and tonnage too?
Yes. Where the new yacht is intended for commercial use or needs a tonnage certificate, SVG Marine can fold the MCA coding examination and tonnage measurement into the build programme, so the certification is in place at handover rather than chased after delivery.
Planning a new build?
Independent owner's surveyor services pay for themselves many times over.
