Snag list or punch list? What's the difference?

If you work in building, or you're about to buy a new home, you'll hear three words for what looks like the same thing: snag list, snagging list and punch list. They're close, but where you are and who's talking changes which one you'll hear.

The short answer

They all mean a list of things to put right before something is handed over: scratched worktops, doors that stick, patches of missing paint, sockets that don't work.

• Snag list or snagging list is the usual phrase in the UK and Ireland, and the activity is called snagging.
• Punch list is the usual phrase in the US and Canada. It comes from the old habit of punching a mark next to each finished item on the list.
• Defects list is a more formal term, often used in contracts, where a contractor must fix defects found during a set period.

Who uses them

• New-build buyers snag a home before they move in, and again early in their first months.
• Main contractors and site managers keep lists as a project nears practical completion.
• Clients and project managers inspect work and issue lists to the trades.
• Landlords and lettings agents use similar lists for check-in and check-out inspections.
• Independent inspectors are hired to find and record snags and write a report.

What a snag usually is

Most snags are small and cosmetic: paint splashes, chipped tiles, gaps in sealant, a door that won't close properly, a radiator that stays cold. Occasionally a list turns up something more serious, like damp or an unsafe fitting. When a snag is a safety issue, it doesn't wait for the list: it's reported straight away.

What a good list contains

A list is only useful if the person fixing the problem can find it and understand it. For each item, you want:

1. A location. Which room, which wall, which window.
2. A photo. One that shows the problem and, ideally, one wider shot so it can be found.
3. A short, plain description. "Crack in plaster above kitchen window, left side."
4. A priority. Urgent, normal or cosmetic helps people order the work.
5. Who fixes it. The trade or the company responsible.
6. A date. When it was found, and when it should be fixed by.
7. A status. Open, fixed or checked, so the list shrinks as work is done.

From list to report

A snag list becomes a report when it's tidy enough to send. That usually means the items grouped by room, with photos, a summary on the first page and a record of who is responsible for each. It's the bit that takes the time, and it's why many people want to produce it on site. We've written a guide to writing a snagging report that gets things fixed, and a room-by-room new-build checklist if you're buying.

Making the list on a phone

SnagLine is an iPhone and iPad app for this job: photograph the snag, say or type what's wrong, mark up the photo, pin it on the floor plan and send a branded PDF before you leave. There's more on the landlords and inspectors page and the page for tradespeople.