Snagging / Defects List
Every defect found on a job or a new home, listed for the builder to fix.
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| Property or job | [property] |
| Contractor | [builder] |
| Inspected by | [your name] |
| Inspected on | [date] |
| Response wanted by | [date] |
| # | Where | What is wrong | Priority | Fixed on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [add one defect per line] |
Please confirm when each item will be attended to.
I would like to be present when the work is done, and I will re-inspect before signing anything off.
What is a Snagging / Defects List?
A snagging list is the itemised record of everything wrong with a finished job — the door that binds, the missing sealant, the socket that was never connected — written down room by room so the builder can fix it and you can check. It matters because memory is not evidence: unlisted defects get forgotten at handover, and once final payment is released your leverage to get them fixed largely goes with it.
Buyers of new-build homes use one at the pre-completion inspection. Main contractors use one internally before calling the client to site. Architects, clerks of works and building surveyors produce them formally at practical completion, and homeowners produce them at the end of an extension or a kitchen fit-out. Fit-out and shopfitting teams run the same process under the name punch list. Whoever writes it, the audience is the person who will hold the screwdriver, so the list has to be specific enough to work from without a second visit.
What follows the list is governed by the contract and by local warranty schemes, which differ. In the UK, new homes are commonly covered by a structural warranty and a consumer code with its own defect reporting route and time limits. Australia has statutory defect liability and home warranty schemes that vary by state. In India, the builder's obligations for defects after possession are set out in RERA and the state rules made under it. In the US it varies by state and by the builder's own warranty. Find the scheme and the deadline that applies to your property before the window closes.
A snagging list records defects in workmanship and finish. It is not a structural survey and will not find what is behind the plaster, under the floor or in the roof void — that needs a surveyor with instruments and access. It is also not a change list: items you have decided you would prefer differently are variations, and asking for them under the heading of snags is how disputes start. And it does not by itself withhold money; whether you can hold a retention, and how much, comes from the contract you signed.
What to put in a Snagging / Defects List
These are the details this template asks for. Anything left blank is marked in red on the preview so you can see what is still missing.
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Issued to (full name) | For example: James Whitfield |
| Property or job | For example: Plot 14, Halbrook Gardens |
| Builder or contractor | For example: Barton Construction Ltd |
| Inspected on | Free text |
| Defects found | One per line: Where | What is wrong | Priority |
| Response wanted by | Free text |
How to write a Snagging / Defects List
Work room by room in a fixed order
Number the rooms and walk them the same way every time — in the door, then clockwise, then ceiling, then floor. A list organised by room lets a joiner take the joinery items for the whole house in one visit. A list written in the order you noticed things sends three trades up and down the stairs and guarantees something is missed.
Describe the defect and its exact location
Bedroom 2, window wall, left-hand reveal: 300mm of missing mastic beneath the cill. That can be fixed without you present. Scratch on window is not — which window, which pane, which face, how long. Give a measurement or a distance from a fixed edge for anything a person has to find, and use the room names from the drawings rather than your own.
Photograph every item with a reference
One wide shot to place it, one close shot to show it, both carrying the item number — a sticky note in frame works. Photographs settle the two arguments that follow every snag list: whether the defect existed at handover, and whether the repair matches what was agreed. Date-stamped images from your phone are usually enough.
Say what good looks like
For each item, state the outcome, not the method: door to close and latch without force, paint finish to match adjacent wall with no visible roller edge, socket live and tested. Leaving the method to the contractor avoids arguments about how, while a defined outcome gives you something to check against on the re-inspection.
Agree dates and re-inspect against the list
Send the list with a target date for each item or a single completion date, and ask for access arrangements in writing. Then re-inspect using the same numbered list, marking each item accepted, outstanding or newly damaged. Keep the closed list — it is the record you will need if a warranty claim on the same defect comes up later.
Common mistakes
- Writing vague entries such as tiles bad, which sends the contractor back to you for clarification and pushes the fix past the date you needed it.
- Inspecting after the furniture is in, so damage to skirtings and floors becomes impossible to attribute and the builder declines it.
- Mixing wish-list changes in with genuine defects, which lets the contractor dismiss the whole list as unreasonable and slows the real fixes.
- Signing off handover before the list is agreed, which releases the payment that was your only practical leverage.
- Failing to photograph items at the time, leaving a later warranty claim resting on your word against the builder's.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a snagging list and a punch list?
They are the same document under different regional names. Snagging is the term in the UK, Ireland, India and much of the Gulf; punch list is standard in the US and common in commercial fit-out everywhere. Both mean the itemised defects to be corrected before a job is accepted. Use whichever your contract uses, since the contract wording is what any dispute turns on.
When should I do a snagging inspection on a new build?
Ideally before you complete or take the keys, while your leverage is highest, and again once you have lived in the property for a short period and the heating has been through a cycle. The second visit catches shrinkage cracks and things that only show in use. Check your warranty or consumer code for reporting deadlines, since they run from a defined date.
Can I withhold payment until snags are fixed?
Only if your contract allows it. Many building contracts provide for a retention held until the defects period ends, and that is the mechanism to use. Withholding without a contractual right can itself be a breach. Read the payment and defects clauses in your own agreement, and take advice before holding money on a substantial contract.
How many snags is normal on a new house?
It varies widely with size, specification and builder, so any number quoted as typical is unreliable. What matters is not the count but the split: a long list of paint touch-ups and easing doors is routine, while a handful of items involving drainage, roof or electrics is not. Grade the list by severity so the significant items are not buried.
Who pays for a professional snagging inspection?
The buyer or client normally commissions and pays for an independent inspector; the builder pays for their own internal checks. Whether an independent inspector is allowed on site before completion depends on the developer, and some restrict access. Ask early, because arranging it after you have completed removes most of the reason for doing it.
This page explains general practice and is not legal advice. Requirements differ between countries and, in some cases, between states — check what applies where the document will be used.