After the Snagging Report: Following Up With the Developer

Developers are expected to hand over in accordance with applicable contractual standards and to address eligible defects under relevant legal and contractual obligations. An inspection report can help you document concerns and follow up.

In practice, the developer reviews each item you submit, decides how to respond under the contract, any warranty and the applicable law, and schedules any work.

Our Defects Liability Period (DLP) and warranties guide explains how statutory liability, contractual defects periods and product warranties differ.

Not every item will be accepted. Some may be queried, some may need investigation, and some may be considered outside the developer's responsibility. A good follow-up process handles all of these calmly and on the record.

Submit once, completely and formally.

1. Check the report. Confirm the unit details, date and scope are correct before sending.
2. Use the formal channel. Your handover documents or the developer's customer team should confirm how defects are to be reported. A message to a sales contact is not usually a substitute.
3. Send the whole report. Do not edit a signed report. If you are not pursuing an item, say so in your covering message.
4. Write a short covering note. Identify the unit, the report date and the number of items, and ask for an item-by-item response.
5. Keep proof. Save a dated copy of what you sent and any acknowledgement or case number.

Keep it short and factual. For example:

Replace the bracketed details with your own. A note like this sets the expectation of an item-by-item response from the start.

Ask for a response to each item by its reference number. A useful response says:

• whether the item is accepted for action, queried or declined, with reasons;
• what action is planned, such as adjustment, repair, replacement or investigation;
• when the work is expected to happen and what access is needed.

Asking in this structure makes it far easier to see where things stand than a general reply saying "items will be attended to".

Keep a single log, updated every time something happens. A spreadsheet or table is enough.

Rules that keep the log useful:

• Never overwrite history. Add new entries rather than changing old ones.
• Use the original reference numbers. They tie every message, visit and photograph back to the report.
• Record every contact. Date, channel, who you spoke to and what was said.
• Keep photographs with dates. Before and after, from similar positions where possible.

When the developer reports items complete, check them before closing them in your log.

• Check yourself for simple items you can see and operate: a door that now latches, a replaced socket plate, renewed sealant.
• Arrange a Reinspection (sometimes called de-snagging) when there are many items, you are abroad, or you want an independent, documented update. Each item is recorded as appearing resolved, remaining open or not checked.

Reinspection terms are agreed before the visit:

A visual check confirms what can be seen on the day. It cannot confirm concealed workmanship or that a problem will not return. For recurring items, such as staining that reappears, keep the history and raise it again with the new date.

Disagreements can happen. Handle them in writing and stay specific.

1. Ask for reasons. If an item is declined, ask why, in writing, referring to the reference number.
2. Check your documents. Compare the reason with your sale and purchase agreement (SPA), specification and any warranty.
3. Consider a further opinion. For technical disputes, a specialist investigation may clarify cause or extent.
4. Take legal advice for legal questions. Whether the developer is obliged to act is a legal matter. A snagging report is evidence; it is not a legal opinion, and an inspection company is not your legal representative.
5. Stay factual. Avoid threats or ultimatums in correspondence. A calm, well-documented record is more persuasive.

There is no standard timetable that applies to every developer. Look for timeframes in three places, and note any you find in your log:

• your SPA and any handover documents, for reporting periods and any DLP;
• the developer's stated defects or customer-care process, for acknowledgement and response times;
• product warranty documents, for appliances and equipment with their own terms.

If no timeframe is stated, follow up politely and in writing at regular intervals, and keep a record of each contact. If a DLP or warranty end date is approaching, submit any remaining or new items formally before it, rather than relying on earlier conversations.

Use a simple decision framework when items are moving slowly.

• Safety first: loose balustrades, damaged electrical fittings, anything that could cause injury.
• Water second: leaks, drainage and missing sealant in wet areas, which can cause further damage.
• Function third: cooling, locks, doors and windows that affect daily use.
• Appearance last: paint, grout and minor surface marks.

Check also whether any contractual or statutory period is approaching. Items nearing a deadline may need to move up your list.

Remote owners can follow the same process. Agree with the developer how access for repairs will be arranged, nominate someone you have lawfully authorised to let teams in if needed, and ask for photographs of completed work. A reinspection can then provide an independent update. If a tenant is in place, agree repair visits with them in advance.

SnagRight coordinates inspections, reports and reinspections. Each inspection is carried out by an appropriately licensed inspection provider, subject to verification and confirmed in your agreement, which also signs the report. Any support with follow-up beyond the report is described in your agreement.

To understand each part of the report before you submit it, read how to read a snagging report.