Plot 37 or plot 47?
Sixty plots, three house types, your team moving between them as the builder releases each one. First fix on some, second fix on others, a few at snagging, two handed over. The supervisor keeps it on a whiteboard in the site cabin and a notebook in his pocket. The office asks for a status update each Friday and gets a photo of the whiteboard.
The developer's handover team wants certificates for plots 41 to 45 by Wednesday. The office isn't sure which of those are actually finished.
By Wednesday, two of those plots turn out to be waiting on a kitchen fitter, and the certificates for the other three are still in the supervisor's notebook.
Why plot status is so slippery
Developments move plot by plot, and each plot passes through several stages that depend on other trades: roof on, plaster done, kitchen fitted, meters in. Status changes daily. The only people who know it are on site, and they record it wherever is quickest.
The office, meanwhile, needs status for three separate things: certificates, snag lists and payment applications. Each one is built from the same missing information.
| Stage per plot | What depends on it |
|---|---|
| First fix complete | Stage payment, pre-plaster photos |
| Second fix complete | Testing and certificate |
| Certificate issued | Developer handover pack |
| Snags raised | Return visit, sign-off |
| Handed over | Final application, retention clock |
House types help and hinder at the same time. Plots of the same type share a circuit layout, so certificates for them look alike, which makes it tempting to copy one plot's certificate to the next. That is exactly where mistakes creep in, because each plot still needs its own test results and its own address.
What a whiteboard costs
Late certificates hold up the developer's handovers, which they notice. Stage payments are claimed late or for the wrong plots. Snags are lost between visits and come back as complaints. And when your supervisor is off, nobody else can tell what state the site is in.
Developers also run their own snagging and customer care teams, and they notice which trades close snags quickly. A slow or muddled response to snags on one site can affect whether you are invited to price the next phase.
The plot tracker we build
- Site setup: each development is set up with its plots and house types, and the stages your team works through.
- Phone updates: the supervisor or electrician taps a plot and marks a stage done, with a photo where you want one, such as first fix before boarding.
- Certificate queue: plots marked tested go to your certification step, grouped by house type so similar certificates can be prepared together.
- Snag list: snags from the developer or your own checks are logged per plot and room, assigned, and closed with a photo.
- Application: the monthly application to the developer is drafted from plot stages and your agreed stage values.
- Site grid: the office and owner see every plot's status on one screen, updated as the site team works.
We set up the first site with your supervisor, using the house type drawings and the builder's plot release plan, so the tracker matches how the site actually runs from day one.
Everyone looking at the same site
The office no longer waits for a photo of the whiteboard. Certificates are ready as plots finish. Snags close with evidence. Applications match what's been done. And anyone can pick up the site if the supervisor is away.
Handover also becomes easier. When the developer asks for the electrical file for a phase, the certificates, snag closures and photos for each plot are already grouped together, rather than collected from folders and phones at the last minute.
Is your site like this?
- Plot status is on a whiteboard or in a notebook.
- The office asks site for updates every week.
- Developers wait for certificates on finished plots.
- Snags get lost between visits.
- Monthly applications are built by counting plots from memory.