Snagging is where a profitable job turns marginal. Items get fixed twice, get missed, or get argued about at final account. A structured list and a rule about closure fixes most of it.
The columns a snagging list needs
| Column | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Item number | Unambiguous reference in emails and on site |
| Location | Room, plot, level, grid reference — never "upstairs" |
| Description | One sentence, factual, no blame |
| Trade responsible | Who owns it |
| Priority | Blocks handover / before completion / defects period |
| Raised by and date | Establishes when it was known |
| Before photo | What the defect actually was |
| Target date | Something to chase against |
| After photo | Proof of rectification |
| Closed date and by whom | The audit trail |
The one rule that changes everything
A snag cannot be closed without an after photo. It removes the entire category of "I did that last week" and produces a complete before-and-after record for handover without any extra effort.
A close-out process that works
- Pre-snag internally a week before the client walk-round. Fixing your own list first halves the client's list.
- Walk the job with the client and record items on the spot with photos. Agreeing the list in person prevents a second list arriving by email.
- Distribute by trade. Each subcontractor gets only their items, with a date.
- Review twice a week until the list is under ten items, then daily.
- Issue the close-out schedule — every item with before and after photos and the date closed. Clients sign off faster when they can see the evidence laid out.
Snagging versus defects
Snags are items identified before practical completion. Defects are items arising during the defects liability period afterwards, typically six or twelve months. Keeping them on separate lists matters because they have different contractual consequences and different people paying for them.
Doing it on a phone
Paper snag lists get retyped, and things get lost in the retyping. In SiteClick a snag takes about fifteen seconds: photo, one line, trade, priority. Pin it to the uploaded floor plan so location is unarguable, and the subcontractor sees only their own list. Closure requires the after photo, and the full schedule exports as a branded PDF for handover.