Free snag list template and snagging checklist
A printable snag list (punch list) and a room-by-room checklist for new builds, renovations and fit-outs. Free to download, no sign-up.
2 pages, A4 landscape: the snag list, then the room-by-room checklist.
How to use it
- Walk each house or unit in the same order every time: outside, then room by room.
- Write one line per snag: where, what is wrong, and the trade.
- Take a photo of each snag and note its number in the Photo column.
- Give each trade their snags, with a date.
- When a trade says it is fixed, check it yourself and tick it off. Don’t tick it from a phone call.
How to write a snag the trade actually fixes
Vague snags come back unfixed. Say where, what and who:
- Not “kitchen worktop”, but “Kitchen, left of sink: worktop joint lifting. Joiner.”
- Not “paint”, but “Landing, wall by bathroom door: patch not painted, about 30 cm. Painter.”
- Add a photo, and a closer one if the problem is small.
Snagging checklist, room by room
Look high and low, open and close everything, and test anything that plugs in or turns on.
Outside
- Brickwork, render and pointing: cracks, stains, missing mortar
- Roof, gutters, downpipes and fascia: fixed, no leaks
- Paths, driveway and steps: level, no pooling water
- Fences, gates and garden levels
- External doors: open, close and lock properly
- Outside lights, sockets and taps work
Doors and windows
- Every door and window opens, closes and locks without rubbing
- Seals and gaps: no draughts
- Glass: no scratches, chips or leftover labels
- Handles, hinges and door stops fitted
- Window boards and sills finished
- Trickle vents open and close
Walls, ceilings and floors
- Cracks, bumps and nail pops in plaster
- Paint: patchy, missed areas, splashes on sockets and glass
- Gaps at skirting and architrave
- Floors level, no squeaks or damage
- Tiles: cracked, uneven, grout and silicone finished
Kitchen
- Units level, doors and drawers aligned
- Worktop joints tight, edges sealed
- Appliances fitted and working
- Sink and taps: no leaks underneath
- Extractor works and vents outside
Bathrooms
- Toilet fixed firmly, flushes, no leaks
- Bath and shower: seals, drainage, no movement
- Hot water and pressure at every tap
- Tiling and silicone finished cleanly
- Extractor fan works
Services
- Every socket, switch and light works
- Smoke and heat alarms fitted and tested
- Radiators heat up, valves work
- Boiler or heat pump and controls working
- Fuse board labelled; certificates and manuals handed over
Paper works. Until it doesn’t.
The usual problem isn’t finding snags; it’s what happens next. Photos end up in the camera roll and a WhatsApp group, nobody is sure which house a photo belongs to, and you can’t prove a snag was fixed.
FixProof keeps it in one place: photo the snag, pick the house and the trade, and send it on WhatsApp. The trade opens a link (no app, no account) and sends back an after photo. You check before and after side by side and close it. At handover, one tap gives you a before-and-after PDF for the buyer or their engineer.
Questions
What is a snag list?
A snag list (called a punch list in the US) is a list of unfinished or incorrect work found before a building is handed over: things like paint touch-ups, a door that rubs, a missing seal or a leaking tap. Each snag is given to the trade responsible and checked again once it is fixed.
When should snagging be done?
Builders usually snag each house or unit before handover, then again after the trades have been through. Buyers or their engineer often do their own snag inspection before closing, and the builder works through that list too.
What should each snag include?
Where it is (house, room and exact spot), what is wrong, which trade should fix it, and a photo. A due date helps. A closer photo is useful when the problem is small, like a chip or a gap.
Is the template free?
Yes. Download it, print it and use it on as many jobs as you like. No sign-up needed.
Is there an app instead of paper?
FixProof does the same job on your phone: photo the snag, pick the house and the trade, and send it on WhatsApp. The trade sends back an after photo through a link, with no app or account, and at handover you get a before-and-after PDF. It is free for 14 days.