How to write a snagging report that gets things fixed

A snagging report has a simple job: make it easy for someone else to fix a long list of small problems. The more clearly it's written, the faster the work gets done and the fewer arguments there are about what was found. Here's how to write one people actually act on.

Start with a one-page summary

The first page is for the person who will never read the rest, such as the client or the site manager. It should say:

• the address or project, and the date of the inspection
• who carried it out
• how many snags there are in total
• how many are urgent
• which rooms or areas have the most
• a line on overall condition, in plain words

If a reader stops after page one, they should still know how big the job is.

Group by room

Fixers work one space at a time, so a report that jumps between kitchen, loft and bedroom means they keep walking back and forth. Group snags by room or area, in the order someone would walk through the building, and number them.

Write each snag so it can't be misread

For every item, you want:

1. A photo. A close-up of the problem, and a wider one if the location isn't obvious.
2. A location. "Kitchen, window wall, left of the sink", not "kitchen".
3. A description. One short, plain sentence. "Chipped worktop edge, about 3 cm", not "damaged worktop".
4. A priority. Urgent, normal or cosmetic.
5. Who fixes it. The trade or the company, so it goes to the right person.
6. A fix-by date. Or a note of when the work is needed.

Mark up the photo if it helps: a circle round the defect, an arrow, a measurement. If you pin the snag on a floor plan, the report can show exactly where it is.

Keep your language neutral

You're recording facts, not passing judgement.

• Say what you see. "Gap of 4 mm along the skirting by the door", not "poor workmanship".
• Avoid blame. The report should be about the work, not the person.
• Don't speculate about causes unless you're qualified to. "Damp patch, 20 cm wide, ceiling above the bathroom" is a fact. "Leaking roof" is a guess.
• Report safety issues separately and straight away.

Make it look professional

It helps if the report carries your name or company, your logo, the date and a signature. It also helps if the photos are clear and the same size, and the pages are in a sensible order. People take a tidy report more seriously, and they find things in it faster.

Send it promptly

A report sent the same day, while the site is fresh in everyone's mind, gets a better response than one sent a week later. Ideally you send it before you leave, from the site.

Agree dates, then follow up

A list without dates tends to sit. When you send the report, ask for a date by which each item, or each group of items, will be fixed. Put your own date in the diary to check.

Re-inspect and show the result

When the work is done, go back. For each snag, take an after photo and mark it fixed. A report that shows before and after, side by side, closes the job cleanly and protects you if anyone asks later what was done.

Keep the original

Don't edit the first report. Keep it as it was, and record the changes in a new version or a status column. If there's ever a dispute, you can show what was found, when, and what happened next.

A tool for the whole thing

SnagLine is built around that loop. You photograph and mark up each snag on site, pin it on a plan, group it by room, add who's responsible and a fix-by date, and send a branded PDF before you leave. On re-inspection you mark snags fixed with an after photo and the report shows before and after. See the page for landlords and inspectors and the page for tradespeople.

For what to check in the first place, there's a new-build snagging checklist, and a short explainer on snag lists and punch lists.