Six small things and a big balance
The bathroom is finished. At handover the customer walks round and points out a few things: a silicone line that is not straight, a slightly loose towel rail, a chipped tile behind the door, the shower screen that drips at one corner, a missing cover plate. The fitter writes them on the back of the job sheet. Some need the tiler, one needs the plumber, one needs a part ordered.
Three weeks later two are done, the part has not arrived, and the customer has sent a new list with a seventh item. The balance is still unpaid.
Why snags linger
Individually, snags are small. Together they need coordination across trades and suppliers, and small jobs are the first to be pushed back when the diary fills with new bathrooms.
- Snags are written down in different places by different people.
- Nobody is assigned to each item, so each trade assumes someone else is on it.
- Parts for snags are ordered separately and not tracked.
- The customer adds items over time and the list has no clear boundary.
- There is no record of which items the customer has agreed are done.
What an open snag list costs
The balance is usually the largest single payment you are waiting for, and customers reasonably hold it until the job is finished. Every return visit for a single snag is a trade's time and fuel. And a job that drags on after handover is the one the customer describes when they leave a review.
A snag tracker with owners and sign-off
- At handover the fitter records each snag on their phone with a photo, a location in the room and a short description.
- Each item is assigned to a trade and, if needed, a part, which creates an order line.
- Items are grouped so one visit can clear several, and a date is offered to the customer.
- When a trade fixes an item they take a photo and mark it done.
- The customer receives a link showing each item with its before and after photos and signs off items individually.
- New items raised after handover are logged separately, dated, and reviewed by the office before they are accepted into the list.
| Snag | Owner | Needs | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silicone line uneven | Fitter | Nothing | Booked |
| Shower screen dripping | Fitter | Replacement seal | Part ordered |
| Chipped tile behind door | Tiler | Spare tile from the same batch | Booked |
| Cover plate missing | Electrician | Plate | Done, awaiting sign-off |
The balance invoice can be triggered when all original items are signed off, or when the ones your terms say must be complete are done. That rule is yours.
What closing snags looks like
The office sees every open snag across every job, who owns it and what it is waiting for. Trades get a single visit list rather than scattered calls. Customers can see progress without ringing. And the conversation about the balance is about a clear, photographed list rather than recollection.
Over time the snag records tell you something useful. If shower screens keep dripping on handover, or silicone is the most common snag for one team, you can fix that at source with a supplier conversation or a quick word with the fitters. Snag lists stop being a private embarrassment on the back of a job sheet and become information the business can learn from, job after job.
Signs your snagging needs structure
- Balances regularly wait weeks after handover.
- Snag lists live on job sheets, in texts or in emails.
- Trades have gone back to fix one item on a job more than once.
- Customers add to the list and nobody records when.
- You cannot say how many open snags you have across all jobs.