How to write a good snag
A good snag can be fixed by someone who wasn't there when it was found. Here's what it needs.
A title that says what's wrong
Lead with the problem, not the room. The title is what people read in a list.
- Good: "Door catches on frame at the top"
- Good: "Missing cover plate on double socket"
- Not so good: "Bedroom 2" or "Door issue"
The exact location
Say where it is precisely enough for someone to walk straight to it: level, room and position. "Level 2, flat 204, bedroom 2, wall behind the door" is better than "second floor". Pinning the snag on the drawing removes any doubt.
The right photo
- Take one photo close enough to show the defect.
- Take a second from further back, so the trade can see where it is.
- Mark up the photo with an arrow or circle, so there's no question what the snag is.
What good looks like
Where it helps, say what the fix should achieve: "Re-hang so the door closes without catching" or "Replace the cracked tile to match". If a drawing or specification clause applies, name it.
One owner and a date
Give every snag to one company or person, not "M&E" or "whoever". Add a date to fix it by that suits the programme. Snags with no owner and no date are the ones still open at handover.
A clear status
Use a small set of statuses everyone understands, for example: Open, In progress, Ready to check, Closed. When the trade says it's fixed, check it before it's closed.
Keep the history
Comments, photos of the fix and who closed it, all on the same snag. That record answers "when was this done, and who checked it?" long after the trade has left site.