What Is Snagging and Why Is It Important?

A snag is a defect of an item or aspect of your property once building work has finished.

‘Snagging’ is the general term used when someone (possibly a building contractor or yourself) walks around the property and spots these issues.

You don’t want to live or put up with these snags when you have paid for a good quality finish, which is why it is so essential to make time to identify them.

A snag can be cosmetic, requiring general decorating to make good, or a scratch/crack in a window, which needs replacing. More serious snags could be related to poor render or brickwork. 

Snags are usually expected to be put right within the quoted costs of a project and not added on as you would have specified a good finish. A dent in a wall is not that!

When to Begin Snagging

Most snags, by definition, will be spotted once the building work has been completed. Therefore, this is an excellent time to complete the snagging because you’ll be able to identify them all. 

If you snag piecemeal or stage by stage, you’ll end up with multiple lists and snags on top of old snags. That will quickly get confusing and irritate both you and your build team.

That being said, if you do spot a snag, there is no reason that you cannot highlight it, especially if it’s something big such as a chip in a window that could take a while to be replaced. So, some things might be worth raising sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, more significant snags tend to have a longer lead time to rectify. 

How to Snag

Start by walking around the property and split the property by rooms and areas. Write down every issue you find, no matter how small. If it is a defect, it should be rectified.

Once you have your list, you’re going to want to put it into a functional format. A spreadsheet is usually the best way to go because you can easily split the snags by room/area, add a description, and make a note of which trade would deal with the defect. Then, share the spreadsheet with the build team or main contractor and ensure that you set a timeline for completion.

Book a visit with the build team or main contractor whereby you can check off the snags together.

To learn more about how to snag, check out our other blog which covers everything you need to know: How to Snag Check Your Property

What to Look For When Snagging

Funnily enough, there are common areas where you’ll see snags. These include:

  • Marks on walls, especially in small hallways or walkthroughs
  • Chips and marks on outer corners
  • Plug sockets (plaster not quite right/chips)
  • Plug sockets not being fitted level
  • Flooring – all areas should be down and secure (vinyl/tiles should be right up to the edge and grouting finished with no gaps)
  • Doors – all close and latch smoothly and securely, locks work, door stops are in place, any fire safety aspects are fitted and working
  • Wet areas – showers should be working, shower/bath/sink areas should be fully sealed
  • Kitchen – worktop ends should be fitted, doors open/close freely, kickboards should also be fitted

You should also check that appliances are fitted correctly, and your kitchen cupboards align properly.

And there you have it. You now know what snagging is, why it’s essential, and how to go about doing it.

Any other questions? Drop us a line.

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