Check your quotation PDF for an item breakdown and available local price context. The checklist below covers the scope to confirm.
A snag list records work to locate, check and close. It is also called a snagging or punch list.
This guide helps an owner document visible project issues and incomplete work. It is not a structural, electrical, fire, waterproofing or safety inspection. Use the responsible qualified person when an issue needs diagnosis, testing or specialist judgment.
Download Interio’s interior snag list and handover record (PDF). The five printable pages include project details, sixteen snag rows, fixed status labels, a reinspection record and a handover document tracker. Use the same snag ID in the PDF, photographs and project messages so each issue has one clear history.
What is a snag list?
A snag list records work that is incomplete, damaged or different from the accepted project information. It can include missing items, visible defects, poor alignment, unfinished edges, damaged finishes, non-working fittings or documents that have not been supplied.
The list does not decide every cause or liability. It records the observed condition and links it to the relevant scope, drawing, sample, specification or approved change. The responsible party can then inspect and respond.
| Record type | What it means | Where it belongs |
|---|---|---|
| Snag | Observable incomplete or non-conforming work | Snag list with location and action |
| Approved change | Work intentionally changed with recorded approval | Change register and revised documents |
| Design query | Required result is unclear or conflicting | Decision or information register |
| Damage | Completed or retained item was harmed | Snag list plus responsibility review |
| Latent or hidden concern | Condition is not safely resolved by visual inspection | Qualified investigation and contract record |
| Maintenance item | Normal care after accepted handover | Care plan, unless it resulted from defective work |
Do not label every preference as a defect. Compare the work with the accepted project requirement. If the requirement is missing, record that information gap rather than inventing a standard after installation.
What should a snag list format contain?
Use one row per issue. A long sentence containing five problems cannot be assigned or closed clearly.
Keep one master list even when contractors receive filtered views. Separate files can hide overlaps between paint, woodwork, electrical and cleaning actions. The master record should show which party owns the next response and which other work depends on it.
| Snag-list field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Snag ID | Stable unique reference |
| Room or zone | Exact room, elevation or area |
| Item | Door, cabinet, wall, light, fixture or other component |
| Observation | Visible fact in simple words |
| Evidence | Dated photo, video or test record where appropriate |
| Requirement reference | Drawing, specification, sample, BOQ, scope or approved change |
| Required response | Inspect, complete, repair, replace, explain or submit evidence |
| Responsible party | Named person or organization required to respond |
| Date raised and due date | Current control dates |
| Status | Open, response pending, action complete, reinspect or closed |
| Reinspection record | Checker, date, result and new evidence |
Avoid descriptions such as “bad finish everywhere.” Write the room, item and visible fact. For example: “Bedroom 2 wardrobe, left shutter: lower edge touches the plinth and does not close without force.” Do not guess why it happens unless a responsible person has diagnosed it.
How should an interior snagging inspection be prepared?
Ask for current drawings, room schedules, approved samples, material schedule, BOQ or scope, change register and contractor completion notice. The inspection should use the latest accepted revision, not an early drawing saved on one person’s phone.
Confirm that the area is ready. Major work, debris and protective covers can hide surfaces or create new damage after inspection. Services and equipment should be available for the checks assigned to the responsible parties.
Plan the route room by room. Use consistent item references. Bring the device or form used to record the list, a way to mark locations without damaging finishes, and the approved records needed for comparison.
Use separate inspection passes
The first pass should establish completeness. Check that every room, item and agreed component exists and is ready for closer review. Missing shelves, hardware, access panels or documents can be recorded before spending time on fine finish checks.
The second pass can focus on operation and visible finish. Open doors and drawers, check accessible controls, view surfaces in normal light and compare samples at the intended distance. Ask the responsible qualified party to perform technical tests and provide the record.
A final pass should check interfaces and cleanup. Look where cabinets meet walls, floors meet thresholds and one trade’s work meets another. Confirm that labels, protective film, debris and temporary materials are removed as required without damaging completed work.
Do not close issues during the inspection merely because someone promises to fix them. Record the row first. If a small issue is corrected immediately, reinspect it and record the action and closure date. This keeps the same evidence standard for quick and delayed work.
What should be checked room by room?
Start at the entrance and follow the same order in each room. Look at fixed work, operate items that the owner can safely use, and record unfinished interfaces between trades.
When the handover begins at a covered outdoor threshold, use the verandah design guide to include the approach, doors, levels, drains, loose-item reset and access for inspection. Keep technical tests with the responsible project parties.
When an internal or open-to-sky court connects several rooms, use the courtyard design guide to inspect the routes, doors, thresholds, drains, lights, finishes and maintenance access together. Keep water and building tests with the responsible parties.
For a completed gaming room, use the gaming room design guide to check the agreed equipment, player positions, doors, routes, cables, lights, storage and shared-room reset. Keep electrical, data and ventilation tests with the responsible parties.
For a completed breakfast counter, use the breakfast counter guide to check occupied stools, kitchen work, open cabinets, routes, surfaces, supports, storage, services and cleaning access. Keep technical tests with the responsible parties.
For a completed pantry, use the pantry design guide to check sample stock, doors, drawers, pull-outs, reach, labels, light and cleaning access. Keep load and service tests with the responsible parties.
For a completed playroom, use the kids playroom guide to check real activities, floor space, storage, adult access, light, cleaning and shared-room reset. Keep product, fixing and technical tests with the responsible parties.
For a completed music room, use the music room design guide to check instruments, occupied positions, storage, supports, lights, controls, cables, finishes and room reset. Keep acoustic, electrical and equipment tests with the responsible parties.
For a completed meditation space, use the meditation room guide to check occupied positions, standing up, storage, lights, controls, finishes, cleaning and shared-room reset. Keep technical and product tests with the responsible parties.
For a completed indoor garden, use the indoor garden guide to check filled containers, supports, water routes, visible excess water, nearby finishes, controls, cleaning and maintenance access. Keep plant and technical tests with the responsible parties.
For a completed home library or reading corner, use the home library guide to check the real books, shelf access, doors, occupied seat, lights, controls, finishes and cleaning. Keep load, fixing and electrical tests with the responsible parties.
For home theatres, use the home theatre room guide to check agreed sources and seats, display operation, controls, light scenes, ventilation, equipment access, cable labels and shared-room reset. Keep audio setup, calibration and tests with the AV specialist and responsible parties.
For opening checks, use the matching school, spa, medical, bakery, sweet, stationery, jewellery, hardware, electrical, optical or grocery-shop guide.
| Check group | Owner-side observations |
|---|---|
| Walls and ceilings | Visible damage, unfinished patches, inconsistent junctions and missing access items |
| Floors and skirting | Damage, loose visible pieces, unfinished transitions and dirty or unprotected areas |
| Doors and windows | Visible damage, alignment, operation, hardware and unfinished edges |
| Fitted furniture | Item identity, doors, drawers, shelves, hardware, edges, service access and missing parts |
| Paint and decorative finishes | Missed areas, damage, visible patch differences and comparison with the approved sample |
| Fixtures and fittings | Correct item, visible condition, secure appearance and assigned functional check |
| Electrical and lighting | Installed item identity, labels and tests performed by the responsible qualified party |
| Plumbing and wet areas | Visible fixture condition, access and documented tests by responsible parties |
| Cleaning and protection | Debris, labels, residue, damage and items still under protection |
Do not carry out unsafe tests or open concealed systems. Ask for the required test record and qualified confirmation. A snagging checklist helps memory, but it cannot replace project-specific drawings and specifications.
How should photos and evidence be recorded?
Take one wider photo to show location and one closer photo to show the issue. Include a scale or temporary label when size or identity is otherwise unclear. Keep the original date and file.
Name evidence with the snag ID. Do not send a separate stream of unlabelled images. If a video shows an operating problem, keep it short and state what action is being shown.
Link the requirement when possible. A photo proves visible condition, not necessarily the accepted requirement or cause. The drawing, specification, sample, BOQ, instruction or change record supplies that context.
How should snag priority be handled?
Priority should reflect consequence and dependency, not frustration. Separate urgent safety or active-damage concerns for immediate responsible review. Do not wait for the normal list cycle when there is an active leak, electrical danger, unstable element, blocked safe access or another urgent risk.
| Priority | Use when | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Urgent review | Possible safety issue or active damage | Isolate where appropriate and contact the responsible qualified party |
| Blocks use | The area or required function cannot be used as accepted | Agree action and access before handover decision |
| Blocks other work | Another trade, test or closeout step depends on it | Coordinate the dependency and due date |
| Standard snag | Local incomplete or non-conforming work | Assign and track through normal closure |
| Document gap | Required record, warranty or test is missing | Keep the handover item open |
The owner should not diagnose technical risk from appearance alone. Record the concern and seek competent inspection.
How should a contractor respond to the snagging list?
Ask for a response against every snag ID. The response should accept the action, request inspection, identify a document that shows compliance or state the reason for disagreement. A blanket “all done” message is not a closure record.
Where rectification may affect adjacent work, ask for the proposed approach and responsibility before it starts. Repairing one finish can damage paint, flooring, hardware or retained items. Record those interfaces.
If the parties disagree, keep the original observation and both positions. Do not delete the row. Use the contract’s notice, inspection and dispute process where needed.
How should completed snags be reinspected?
“Action complete” means the contractor reports completion. “Closed” means the authorized checker has reinspected the work and accepted the result under the project process.
Check the original issue, required action and evidence. Also check whether the work created new damage or changed an approved finish. Add the reinspection date, checker and result. If it fails, keep the same snag ID and record the new action rather than hiding the history.
Use a filtered reinspection view, but retain the full master list. Group open items by room or responsible party to make the visit efficient. Bring the earlier photo and requirement reference so the checker can compare the same condition.
If access is blocked or the result cannot be tested, mark the item for reinspection. Do not close it as complete. If an agreed alternative changed the requirement, link the approved change before closing the original snag.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Open | Recorded and awaiting response |
| Response pending | Responsible party is inspecting or clarifying |
| Action agreed | Scope and due date are recorded |
| Action complete | Responsible party reports completion |
| Reinspect | Completion is ready for checking |
| Closed | Authorized check accepted the result |
| Disputed | Parties’ positions and next process are recorded |
How does snagging connect to handover and final payment?
Where a contractor abandons the snag list after the final payment, the interior dispute and legal recourse guide sets out the next steps. The advance payment rules explain why a retention held until snags close protects you.
Snagging is one part of closeout. Handover may also require test records, approvals, warranties, product information, care instructions, keys, spare materials, final schedules, record drawings, approved changes and commercial reconciliation.
When the project leaves several labelled spare products or retained items, use the store room design guide to assign their location, owner, conditions and access. A handover list is incomplete if nobody can find the recorded item later.
Do not assume possession or use proves that every obligation is complete. Do not invent a universal rule for withholding final payment. Read the actual appointment and contract. Record the completed work, open snags, document gaps, agreed changes, credits, previous payments and required notices before making a payment decision.
The contract guide explains how completion, defects, payment and handover should be written. The project-management guide connects snag status with the final account and remaining responsibilities.
What happens after handover?
Keep later defect notices separate from the pre-handover snag list, but link any repeated issue. The defect liability period guide explains how to check the actual contract period, notice route, response and closeout record. A contract may call this a defects liability period. It is separate from a product warranty and routine maintenance.
Snag list questions
What is the meaning of a snag list?
It is a tracked list of incomplete, damaged or non-conforming work found before closeout. Each issue needs a location, observation, evidence, required response, owner, due date and closure check.
Who should prepare the snag list?
The contract or appointment should identify inspection and acceptance roles. An owner can record visible issues, while qualified parties must handle technical diagnosis, testing and specialist acceptance.
When should snagging happen?
Plan it after the relevant work is reported complete and visible, but before closeout decisions that depend on acceptance. Reinspect again after corrective action.
Is a snagging report the same as a home inspection?
No. A project snagging report compares completed work with accepted project requirements. A broader property or technical inspection can have a different scope and requires suitable competence.
Can I close a snag from a contractor’s photo?
A photo can support the record, but it may not prove operation, finish quality, related damage or completion in context. Reinspect the actual item when the contract process requires acceptance.