There's a temptation, near the end of a long job, to treat the finish line as the day the visible work looks done. Snagging and handover is the stage that turns 'looks done' into 'actually complete', and it has its own process that's worth understanding before you reach it.
Done properly, it protects both sides: the client gets a documented, agreed list of anything outstanding, and the contractor gets clarity on exactly what needs finishing before the job is closed.
Walking the job in daylight
A snagging walk-round is best done in good natural light, room by room, with someone taking notes as issues are identified — a paint run, a gap at a skirting joint, a door that doesn't close cleanly. Artificial light and a rushed walk-through both hide defects that daylight and a slower pace reveal.
It's worth doing this walk with both the client and someone from the contractor's side present together, so there's no ambiguity later about what was pointed out and agreed at the time.
Separating defects from variations
This distinction matters because defects should be fixed at no extra cost, while a genuine change of mind about something is a new piece of work, priced separately. Confusing the two is a common source of friction at exactly the point when everyone wants the job finished, not argued over.
- A defect: work that doesn't match the agreed specification or standard workmanship
- A variation: an additional change the client wants, beyond what was originally agreed
Fixing and re-inspecting
Once the list is agreed, items get scheduled and fixed, and then re-inspected against the same list rather than assumed complete because time has passed. A snagging list that's ticked off without being checked again is not meaningfully closed.
On larger jobs this can take more than one pass, particularly where a fix reveals a further small issue — this is normal, and the process should accommodate a second look rather than treating the first re-inspection as automatically final.
What a complete handover pack includes
Beyond the finished work itself, handover should include the paperwork that makes the completed job usable and provable in future: manufacturer's warranties for anything installed, certificates for electrical and gas work, building control completion certificates where relevant, and any operating manuals for new equipment such as a boiler or extract fan.
This paperwork matters well beyond the day it's handed over — it's what a future buyer's solicitor will ask for, and what an insurer or warranty provider will want to see if something goes wrong later.
Agreeing the defects period
Most contracts include a defects period after handover — commonly a matter of months — during which anything that emerges as a fault in the completed work is covered by the original contractor rather than treated as a new job. This should be stated explicitly rather than assumed, and it's worth knowing how to report something during this period.
A defect noticed during this window is usually best reported in writing, with photos, rather than a phone call — this creates the same clear record that mattered at every other stage of the job.
Common questions
How long should a snagging walk-round take?+
It depends on the size of the job, but it should be unhurried — going room by room in daylight, checking finishes closely, rather than a quick pass through the whole property in a few minutes.
What's the difference between snagging and a variation request?+
Snagging covers work that doesn't meet the agreed standard or specification and should be put right at no extra cost. A variation is a new request beyond the original scope and should be priced separately.
What should be in the handover pack?+
Warranties, certificates for electrical, gas and building control work where applicable, and manuals for any new equipment installed. Ask for this explicitly if it isn't offered as standard.
Ask us how our snagging and handover process runs
We walk every job with you in daylight, agree the list in writing, and hand over full certificates and warranties at completion.