Free snag list template
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Free snag list template (PDF). Record defects room by room at handover with the responsible trade, photo reference, status and sign-off. Download free.
Commercial Director
Key takeaways
- A snag list records building defects room by room or area by area at handover, each with the responsible trade, a status and a photo reference.
- Snagging is the UK and Australian term for the room-based defect walk; the US-origin equivalent used more broadly is the punch list.
- A photo reference against each snag removes ambiguity, so the trade fixes the right defect in the right room without a return site walk.
- Outstanding snags are normally rectified during the defects liability period, so a clear, signed list protects both the builder and the client.
Updated 4 June 2026
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What is a snag list template?
A snag list template is a structured register used at handover to record every defect or unfinished item in a building, organised room by room or area by area, so each snag can be assigned to a trade and tracked to completion. For each snag it captures a number, the room or area, a clear description of the defect, the responsible trade, a photo reference, a status and a sign-off. It is the working document an inspector, builder or buyer carries through the property during the snagging inspection, ticking off each space as it is checked.
Snagging is the UK and Australian term for this room-based defect walk, and it is the everyday equivalent of the US-origin punch list. Builders, supervisors, building inspectors and buyers use it on residential and commercial handovers to make sure defects are recorded and resolved before, or during, the defects liability period rather than being missed. Organising the list by room is what makes it distinct: it follows how a property is actually inspected and handed over, space by space. In MapTrack, each snag can be raised as a form on a phone with a photo and the room recorded, assigned to the responsible trade and tracked to closure, so the room-by-room list stays live instead of living in a notebook. Snagging supports the quality and defect obligations that sit behind handover under standards such as AS 4000 and the National Construction Code.
Learn more about asset tracking in MapTrack.
Benefits of using this snag list template
- Room-by-room coverage: organising snags by space mirrors how a building is inspected, so no room is signed off with defects still open.
- Photo evidence: a photo reference against each snag removes ambiguity and shows the trade exactly which defect to fix and where.
- Clear trade accountability: each snag names the responsible trade, so the fixes are dispatched without back and forth over ownership.
- Smoother handover: a complete, ticked-off list gives the buyer or client confidence the property has been checked space by space.
- Protects the defects period: a dated record of what was raised and resolved protects both builder and client during the defects liability period.
- Fewer disputes: agreed, signed snags reduce arguments over what was defective at handover and what has since been rectified.
- Repeatable inspections: a standard room-based format means every handover is snagged consistently regardless of who walks the property.
Benefits of digitising forms in MapTrack
When you move your defectss from paper to MapTrack, you get:
- Field users can easily scan a QR code to complete a form on mobile. Unlimited users.
- Automatically get alerts when faults are identified.
- Link every form digitally as a PDF to the relevant asset, location or person.
- Receive a digital PDF copy with every submission to your email.
- Ability to share forms digitally.
- Build conditional logic (show or hide questions based on answers).
- Take pictures or attach photos. Not possible with a paper-based form.
- Electronic signatures.
- Edit forms later without reprinting.
- Restrict permissions (who can view, complete or approve).
- Build forms with AI (describe what you need and MapTrack suggests the form).
- Manage SWMS sign-on digitally so every worker is recorded before entering site.
- Track tool and plant movements between multiple job sites in real time.
- Generate site-specific compliance packs for principal contractor audits.
Book a demo to see how MapTrack handles defectss.
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What to include in a snag list template
This snag list template covers 10 key areas:
- Project details: project or property name, builder, inspector or buyer, and the date of the snagging inspection.
- Snag number: a unique reference for each defect so it can be tracked and signed off.
- Room or area: the specific room, level or external area where the snag was found.
- Defect description: a clear statement of the defect or unfinished item, specific enough to action.
- Trade: the trade responsible for rectifying the snag (for example painting, tiling, joinery).
- Photo reference: a photo number or filename linking the snag to its image.
- Priority: an optional rating where some defects must be fixed before occupation.
- Status: open, in progress or fixed, updated as the snag is closed out.
- Rectified and verified: who fixed the snag and who confirmed it was resolved.
- Sign-off: builder and client acceptance with the date the list was agreed.
How to use this snag list template
- Inspect the property methodically, working through one room or area at a time.: Start at the entrance and move through every room, level and external area in a set order so none is skipped. Check finishes, fittings, doors, windows, services and surfaces in each space, recording defects against the room as you go rather than at the end.
- Record each snag with the room, a clear description and the responsible trade.: For every defect, note the room or area, describe the snag specifically enough to action, and identify the trade responsible for the fix. Keeping the list ordered by room means the trade can work space by space and nothing is recorded against the wrong location.
- Photograph each snag and link the image to its reference.: Take a photo of every snag and record the photo number or filename against the item. The image removes ambiguity over which defect is meant and lets the trade fix the right snag in the right room without needing a second site walk to clarify.
- Issue the snag list to the trades and update each item as it is fixed.: Send the room-ordered list to each responsible trade and move snags from open to in progress to fixed as the work is done. Group snags by trade so each contractor has a clear, actionable subset of the list to work through during the defects period.
- Re-inspect each fixed snag before signing it off.: Return to each snag the trade reports as fixed, confirm the defect is genuinely resolved and only then mark it fixed with the verifier and date. Reopen anything that is not properly rectified so the fixed status remains reliable for the client.
- Review the closed list with the client and capture sign-off.: Once every snag is fixed and verified, walk the agreed items with the buyer or client, capture builder and client sign-off and retain the record. A clean, signed snag list supports handover and the resolution of defects during the defects liability period.
In MapTrack, you can track construction equipment across every site. Each submission is stored as a timestamped PDF against the asset record.
Get the free templateEnter your email above to download the full snag list template as a PDF.Back to download formHow often should you complete this defects?
A snag list is created at handover, with the main snagging inspection carried out as the building reaches practical completion, then worked through until every snag is fixed and signed off. On larger handovers, snag each completed area as it becomes available rather than waiting for the whole building. Re-inspect and update snag statuses at least weekly through the defects liability period until the list is closed. In MapTrack, snags raised room by room on a phone update their status as trades close them out, so the builder and client can see exactly what remains open in each space without chasing paper.
Frequently asked questions
Applicable regulatory standards
This template aligns with the following regulations and standards:
- AS 4000 - General conditions of contract (defects, practical completion and the defects liability period)
- National Construction Code (Building Code of Australia) - performance requirements that completed building work must meet
- WHS Regulations 2011 - duties relating to safe completion and handover of construction work
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