The template, with worked entries
The example log is below. Delete the rows and use the structure, or keep them as a guide to how specific a defect description needs to be.
| ID | Room | Element | Defect observed | Severity | Responsibility | Photo ref | Raised | Target | Closed on | Status | Rectification cost (Rs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S-01 | Living | TV unit | Left drawer fouls the side panel at full extension | Major | Carpentry | IMG_1042 | 12-Sep | 16-Sep | 16-Sep | Closed | 0 |
| S-02 | Living | False ceiling | Cove shadow gap uneven, 8 mm to 18 mm along the dining edge | Major | Ceiling | IMG_1044 | 12-Sep | 17-Sep | Open | 4200 | |
| S-03 | Living | Paint | Roller marks visible on the south wall in evening light | Minor | Painting | IMG_1047 | 12-Sep | 18-Sep | Open | 3500 | |
| S-04 | Kitchen | Counter | Chip at the sink cut-out, 12 mm, front edge | Major | Stone | IMG_1051 | 12-Sep | 19-Sep | Open | 6800 | |
| S-05 | Kitchen | Base unit | Bottle pull-out rubs the adjacent shutter | Minor | Hardware | IMG_1053 | 12-Sep | 16-Sep | 15-Sep | Closed | 0 |
| S-06 | Kitchen | Backsplash | Grout line cracked above the hob | Minor | Tiling | IMG_1055 | 13-Sep | 18-Sep | Open | 1800 | |
| S-07 | Master bed | Wardrobe | Sliding shutter jumps at the mid-point of the track | Critical | Hardware | IMG_1061 | 13-Sep | 15-Sep | Open | 9500 | |
| S-08 | Master bed | Bedside | Soft-close not engaging on the right drawer | Minor | Hardware | IMG_1063 | 13-Sep | 17-Sep | 17-Sep | Closed | 0 |
| S-09 | Master bath | Shower | Water ponds 40 mm from the trap after two minutes | Critical | Plumbing | IMG_1068 | 13-Sep | 16-Sep | Open | 14500 | |
| S-10 | Master bath | Vanity | Mirror cabinet not level, 6 mm across the width | Minor | Carpentry | IMG_1070 | 13-Sep | 18-Sep | Open | 900 | |
| S-11 | Bedroom 2 | Wardrobe | Loft shutter binds against the false ceiling drop | Major | Carpentry | IMG_1074 | 14-Sep | 19-Sep | Open | 5600 | |
| S-12 | Bedroom 2 | Electrical | Bedside socket dead on the left side | Major | Electrical | IMG_1076 | 14-Sep | 15-Sep | 15-Sep | Closed | 0 |
| S-13 | Common bath | WC | Flush plate loose in the wall recess | Minor | Plumbing | IMG_1079 | 14-Sep | 17-Sep | Open | 1200 | |
| S-14 | Passage | Flooring | Three tiles hollow on tapping near the DB | Major | Tiling | IMG_1082 | 14-Sep | 20-Sep | Open | 7400 | |
| S-15 | Balcony | Paint | Efflorescence patch below the chhajja drip | Major | Painting | IMG_1085 | 14-Sep | 21-Sep | Open | 5200 | |
| S-16 | Whole flat | Cleaning | Protective film left on 11 handles and two glass panels | Minor | Site | IMG_1088 | 14-Sep | 15-Sep | 15-Sep | Closed | 0 |
The Status column is a formula: =IF(closed date is blank, "Open", "Closed"). The cost column totals with an 18 per cent GST row beneath.
How to run a snag list
- Describe the defect, do not name it. “Drawer fouls the side panel at full extension” is actionable; “drawer problem” is not.
- Photograph everything and reference the file name. Sixteen photographs settle sixteen conversations.
- Grade severity honestly. Marking everything Critical is how a list stops being read.
- Send it once, as one document. A consolidated list gets scheduled; a stream of messages gets triaged and forgotten.
Three things it fixes
- Snags raised verbally and forgotten. A dated row with a responsible trade survives a change of site supervisor.
- A final payment released against a promise. The cost column tells you what the open items are worth.
- Arguments about whether an item was ever raised. The Raised date column ends them.
Download the template (XLSX) →
Use it alongside the handover checklist and the snag list and handover guide.
Frequently asked questions
How many snags are normal on a 2BHK?+
Twenty to forty on a well-run project, of which most are Minor. A list of five usually means the walk was not thorough. A list of a hundred and twenty usually means the finishing trades left early. What matters is the Critical and Major count, which should be in single figures.
Who fills in the rectification cost?+
You do, as an estimate of what the item would cost to fix if the contractor walked away. It is not a charge and you are not invoicing for it. It exists so that when you hold back money against open items, the amount is proportionate and defensible.
What is the difference between Critical, Major and Minor?+
Critical means the flat cannot be used safely or a defect will worsen — water ponding, a dead circuit, a sliding shutter that jumps. Major means the item does not perform as specified. Minor means cosmetic. Sequence the rectification in that order rather than room by room.
When should the snag walk happen?+
Two walks. The first in the last week of the programme, with the contractor present, in daylight and again after dark. The second after 30 days of occupancy, before you release retention. The second walk reliably finds items the first could not, because nothing had been used yet.
Can I use this for a commercial fit-out?+
Yes, but snag by zone rather than by room and add a column for the system involved — HVAC, electrical, access control, AV. On a fit-out the walk should happen zone by zone as each is completed, not as a single exercise at the end.