Snag List

What Snagging Looks Like on an Indian Construction Site

Snagging - the process of inspecting completed work and documenting defects - typically begins 2-3 months before planned handover on residential projects. A quality control team walks each unit, checking everything from tile alignment and paint finish to door hardware, plumbing fixtures, electrical switches, and waterproofing.

Each defect is logged as a "snag" with its location (tower, floor, unit, room), description, severity (cosmetic, functional, safety), and assigned contractor. The contractor is given a deadline to rectify the defect, after which the QC team re-inspects to verify completion.

Why Paper-Based Snagging Fails at Scale

On a single tower with 50 units, snagging might generate 800-1,200 individual items. A township project with 5 towers and 500 units can easily produce 8,000-10,000 snag items. Managing this volume with paper checklists and Excel trackers creates predictable problems.

First, location identification. A paper form says "crack in bedroom wall" - but which bedroom? Which wall? When the plaster contractor receives 40 such items for Floor 12, they waste time identifying locations before starting rectification.

Second, duplicate reporting. Without a central digital register, the QC team may log the same defect on multiple inspections because they can't verify if it was already recorded. The contractor disputes the count. Arguments follow.

Third, closure verification. A contractor claims they've fixed 30 snags on Floor 8. The QC team needs to physically re-inspect each one. Without before-and-after photos, there's no evidence trail. Items marked "closed" by the contractor are found open during the developer's internal audit. Trust erodes.

The RERA Dimension

RERA regulations have made snagging more consequential. Registered projects have committed delivery dates, and buyers can claim compensation for delays. A project that completes structural work on time but takes 4 extra months on snagging and finishing still faces RERA consequences.

The defect liability period (DLP) - typically 3-5 years under RERA for structural defects and 1-2 years for other defects - means that snag resolution isn't just a handover task. It's a long-term liability that needs proper documentation. When a buyer reports a waterproofing issue 18 months after possession, the developer needs to trace the original snagging record, the contractor who was responsible, and the rectification evidence.

Digital Snagging vs Traditional Snagging

The shift from paper to digital snagging addresses the core problems: GPS-tagged photos pinpoint exact locations, eliminating ambiguity. A central register prevents duplicates. Before-and-after photo evidence makes closure verification objective. And automated assignment with deadline tracking means contractors receive snag lists on their phones instead of paper sheets that arrive 3 days late.

Projects using digital snagging report 30-40% faster resolution cycles compared to paper-based systems, primarily because the time wasted on identifying locations and verifying closures is eliminated.