Snagging and completion inspection
Defects recorded item by item with photographs, locations and the measured cost of remediation, so the final payment is decided on evidence.
The last payment is the one that gets the least attention
By the time a Nigerian building reaches completion, everyone is tired. The contractor wants the balance, the owner wants to move in, and the defects are the kind of thing that seems minor until the first rainy season. That is precisely the moment when an itemised, evidenced list is worth the most, because it is the last point at which you still have leverage.
We carry out snagging inspections and completion reviews, record every defect with its location and a photograph, and value what it will cost to put right.
What the report contains
- Every defect, itemisedLocation, description, and the corrective work required. No summary language, no “general finishes poor”.
- Photographic evidenceDated images for each item, referenced to the list, so nothing can be disputed later.
- A cost for putting it rightMeasured and priced, so the sum withheld is based on the actual remedy rather than a guess.
- Incomplete work separated from defective workTwo different claims with two different remedies, and contractors often try to merge them.
- Services and fittings checkedSockets, switches, taps, drainage falls, doors and windows operated and recorded where they can be.
- A clearance recommendationWhat must be done before final payment, and what can reasonably be handled during the defects period.
Where snagging fits in the payment cycle
Practical completion claimed
The contractor says the building is finished and asks for the balance.
Attendance and inspection
We walk the building, room by room, and record what is incomplete, defective or untested.
Itemised report with costs
You receive the list, the photographs and the cost of remediation.
Final payment decided on evidence
Pay, withhold the remediation cost, or agree a retention figure, with the basis written down.
Snagging and completion questions
What is the difference between snagging and a defects inspection?
Snagging happens at practical completion: the list of things not finished or not done properly, which the contractor must correct before final payment. A defects inspection happens later, at the end of the defects liability period, and establishes whether anything has failed since and whether retention should be released. Both produce a written, itemised list.
How detailed should a snagging list be?
Specific enough that a contractor cannot argue it is vague. Each item needs its location, what is wrong, and what is required. “Paintwork poor” is not a snag. “Master bedroom, north wall: two runs of uneven paint finish over 1.5m, requires rubbing down and recoating” is.
Should I withhold final payment until snags are done?
Usually yes, in part. The retention or a stated sum is held until the list is cleared. The amount and the mechanism should be in the contract; where the contract is silent we will tell you what is defensible and what is not, and recommend a figure that reflects the actual cost of the outstanding work rather than a round number.
Can you do this on a building I did not supervise?
Yes, and it is often the reason we are called. Taking over a nearly finished building and establishing what is genuinely incomplete, and what it will cost to finish, is a standard instruction, particularly for diaspora clients who have been told the house is “almost ready”.
Do you snag services and fittings too?
Yes, as far as they can be tested visually and by simple operation: sockets, switches, lights, taps, sanitary ware, drainage falls, doors and windows. Full electrical and mechanical testing requires a registered engineer, and we say so where it is needed.
About to release the final payment?
Send the address and the completion date. An inspection before that payment is the cheapest control you will ever buy.
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