Snagging and Project Handover: How to Close a London Renovation Properly

The final weeks of a renovation project are among the most important — and among the most frequently mismanaged. After months of construction, the instinct of everyone involved is to declare victory and move on. The client wants to be in their property. The contractor wants to be paid. The result can be a practical completion that is called too early, a snagging list that is too short, and a defects liability period that never gets properly enforced.

Getting this right matters. A well-managed closeout protects the client's investment and gives the contractor a clean, defensible record of what was done and when. A poorly managed one leads to disputes, unresolved defects, and the lingering frustration of a property that is nearly right but not quite.

What practical completion means

Practical completion (PC) is the contractual milestone at which the works are substantially complete and the property can be occupied — even if minor defects and outstanding items remain. Under JCT contracts, practical completion has specific legal consequences:

• —The employer (client) takes possession of the property
• —The risk of loss or damage passes to the employer
• —The defects liability period begins (typically 6 or 12 months)
• —Half of the retention held by the employer is released to the contractor
• —The contractor's obligation to maintain site insurance on the works ends

PC should not be certified until the works are genuinely practically complete — meaning all major works are finished, the property is in a clean and broom-swept condition, and all necessary compliance documents are ready or imminent. Certifying PC when there is significant outstanding work simply to accelerate retention release is poor practice.

The snagging list

A snagging list is a systematic record of defects, incomplete items, and items not in accordance with the contract. It is produced at or around practical completion and forms the basis of the contractor's obligation to return and remedy defects during the defects liability period.

What a snagging inspection covers

A thorough snagging inspection of a high-specification London renovation is a room-by-room exercise covering every surface, every fitting, and every element of the building. It is not a quick walk-around. For a whole-house renovation, a comprehensive snagging inspection takes a full day or more.

The categories of item to check:

Decoration: - Paint finish quality — holidays (missed areas), runs, brush marks, poor cutting-in at junctions - Plaster quality — visible joints, cracks, suction variations that show through paint - Wallpaper — bubbles, mismatched patterns, lifted edges, gaps at junctions

Joinery and cabinetry: - Door operation — latches that catch, doors that bind in frames, hinges that require adjustment - Cabinet doors and drawers — alignment, soft-close function, missing or loose hardware - Skirting and architrave — gaps at joints, nailing that has pulled away from the wall, paint at junction with wall

Stone and tiling: - Grout uniformity — voids, colour variation, cracked grout at movement joints - Tile alignment — lips between tiles, uneven grout joint widths - Stone surface — scratches, chips, staining from construction - Silicone sealant — application quality at bath/shower/sink junctions, colour consistency

Mechanical and electrical: - All lights operating correctly — correct lamps, correct control, dimmer operation - All sockets tested — live, earthed, correctly positioned relative to furniture - Heating system — all zones heating correctly, thermostats calibrated, underfloor heating operational - Plumbing — all outlets running, correct hot/cold orientation, no drips, tap pressure adequate - Extraction — extraction fans operating, duct connection verified

External: - Paintwork on external joinery — window sills, door frames, fascia - Pointing and masonry — new mortar neatly finished, no smear on brick faces - Drainage — all drainage connections made, gutters clean and falls correct

Commissioning documentation: - All M&E systems commissioned and handover documentation prepared - Boiler/heat pump commissioning certificates - Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) - Gas Safety Certificate - Building Control completion certificate (or evidence of application) - Any planning condition compliance documents

Who should carry out the snagging inspection

The snagging inspection should be carried out by the client, ideally accompanied by either their own project manager or a snagging specialist, not by the contractor alone. A contractor-only snagging inspection will typically identify fewer items — not from dishonesty, but because familiarity with the works reduces the ability to see them with fresh eyes.

For a high-value London renovation, commissioning an independent snagging inspection from a specialist snagging company — or from an architect or project manager who was not involved in the delivery — is a reasonable investment. An independent snagging report provides both a comprehensive defects record and a neutral document that can be relied upon in any subsequent dispute.

The format of a snagging list

A snagging list should be in a standard format that allows items to be tracked to resolution:

1. 1.Location — room and element (e.g., "Master bathroom — shower tray")
2. 2.Description — specific description of the defect or outstanding item
3. 3.Photo reference — photograph number linked to a photographic record
4. 4.Status — outstanding / in progress / complete
5. 5.Completion date — when the item was confirmed as resolved

Items should be numbered sequentially. As they are resolved, the status is updated. The list is not closed until all items are marked complete and the resolution has been verified.

The defects liability period

The defects liability period (DLP) — typically 6 or 12 months after practical completion under JCT forms — is the period during which the contractor is obliged to return and remedy defects that appear in the works. These are defects that were not apparent at snagging (latent defects) rather than items that were already identified.

What the DLP covers

The DLP covers defects arising from: - Workmanship that was not in accordance with the contract (shrinkage cracking in plaster due to poor application; grout that fails because substrate was not properly prepared) - Materials that were not as specified or that fail within a reasonable time - Installation defects that only become apparent in use (a door that begins to bind as the property heats up; a leak that appears only when the adjacent bath is used)

The DLP does not cover: - Client-caused damage - Normal wear and tear - Items that were on the snagging list and not remedied before PC (these should have been resolved before PC or retained)

Making DLP claims

Defects arising during the DLP should be notified to the contractor in writing as they appear. A photographic record is essential. The contractor should inspect and confirm a remediation programme within a reasonable period.

If the contractor fails to respond or remedy DLP defects, the employer may issue a notice of their intention to engage another contractor to make good, and deduct the cost from the retention. This is a contractual remedy available under JCT forms, but it requires that the proper notice procedure is followed.

Retention: what it is and when it is released

Retention is a percentage of the contract sum (typically 3–5%) withheld by the employer as security for the contractor's performance. Under JCT contracts:

• —First moiety (typically half of the retention) is released at practical completion
• —Second moiety (the remaining half) is released at the end of the defects liability period, once the contractor has remedied all defects notified during the DLP

The second moiety provides the key commercial lever for ensuring DLP defects are remedied. A contractor who wishes to receive the final retention payment must clear the DLP defects list.

Clients sometimes release retention early — out of goodwill, commercial pressure, or a desire to finalise the financial relationship. Unless the contractor's performance has been exceptional throughout, early release of the second moiety removes the incentive structure that makes the DLP work.

Handover documentation

At practical completion, the contractor should provide a complete handover pack covering:

• —Operating and maintenance manuals for all installed plant and appliances
• —Warranties for all items carrying manufacturer or installer warranties
• —Commissioning certificates for all M&E systems
• —Building regulations completion certificate (or notification that it is applied for and pending)
• —Planning compliance documentation where conditions require it
• —A set of as-built drawings where the works involved significant structural or M&E changes
• —Maintenance guidance for specialist finishes (marble sealing, timber oiling, specialist plasterwork)

ASAAN prepares comprehensive handover documentation on all projects, using the same structured approach we apply to our estate-scale renovation programmes. If you would like to understand how we manage the closeout phase of a project, contact us or read our guide on how to choose a renovation contractor for more context on what good contractor practice looks like end-to-end.