Snagging in Dubai: process, checklist & choosing a company

Snagging is your one structured chance to make the developer fix defects before you accept the keys — and it works much better before you've signed the handover paperwork than after. Here is when to do it, what a proper inspection covers, whether to hire a professional, and a room-by-room checklist you can take to the appointment.

What snagging is

A snag is any defect in a newly built unit — a door that doesn't close flush, a hairline crack, a tap plumbed backwards, paint overspray on the glass. Snagging is the systematic inspection that finds them all and puts them in writing, so the developer's contractor rectifies them at the developer's cost, not yours. Brand-new buildings always have snags; a typical new unit produces a list running into the dozens. That is normal — what matters is that every item gets logged and fixed while the developer is still obliged to do it.

When it happens

Snagging belongs inside the handover notice window. When a project is certified complete, the developer sends buyers a completion notice inviting them to inspect the unit and settle the final installment. That inspection appointment is your snagging moment.

• Before final payment where possible. Your leverage is the money and the signature the developer still needs. Some SPAs require settlement before access — read yours — but where you can inspect first, do. If payment must come first, put your snag report on record in writing before signing any acceptance of the unit's condition.
• Don't skip it under time pressure. Developers typically give a limited window to complete handover. A snagging inspection takes hours, not weeks — it fits inside any reasonable window, and a "sign today, inspect later" push is a reason to slow down, not speed up.
• After rectification, re-inspect. The de-snag visit checks every logged item against the fix. It is common for a share of items to need a second pass.
• Defects found later are not hopeless — UAE law puts long-running liability on builders for structural defects, and developers commonly warrant finishing defects for an initial period; the exact terms are in your SPA. But post-handover fixes run on the developer's timetable. Pre-handover fixes run on yours.

What a professional inspection covers

A proper snagging survey goes far beyond scuffed paint. Expect a professional to test:

• MEP — mechanical, electrical, plumbing. Every socket and switch tested, distribution-board labelling, light fittings, water pressure and drainage flow at every outlet, hot/cold supply on the correct sides, isolation valves, extractor fans actually extracting.
• Finishes. Tile lippage and hollow tiles (tapped, not just looked at), grout lines, paint coverage, alignment of doors, wardrobes and cabinetry, scratches on glass and sanitaryware, silicone sealing.
• Waterproofing. Bathrooms, balconies and kitchen wet areas — flood-testing floor gullies, checking falls so water runs to the drain and not the corner, and looking for early staining that signals a failed membrane. The most expensive category of snag to discover late.
• HVAC. AC cooling performance in every room, thermostat response, condensate drainage (a blocked condensate line is a classic new-build leak), grille alignment and airflow, noise levels.
• Doors, windows and balconies. Locks, seals, smooth operation, external door drainage, balustrade fixing.

Many firms also offer thermal-imaging or moisture-meter checks that find insulation gaps and damp a visual pass misses.

DIY or professional?

• DIY works for the visible layer — finishes, doors, obvious damage — and costs you only an afternoon. If you do it yourself, bring the checklist below, a phone charger (tests every socket), a bucket of water for drains, and photograph everything with something in frame for scale.
• Professionals earn their fee on the invisible layer — waterproofing, HVAC performance, pressure tests — where a missed defect costs real money after the developer's obligation fades. Their report also lands differently: developers process a numbered, photographed defect schedule from an inspection firm faster than a buyer's email of phone photos.
• Cost: professional snagging is priced by unit size and scope, and varies by provider — get two or three quotes and check exactly what the fee includes. Against the purchase price of the unit, it is a small number.

Choosing a snagging company

We deliberately don't recommend firms — here is how to judge any of them:

• Independence. The inspector should have no relationship with your developer or its contractors. Ask directly. A firm recommended by the developer is a conflict of interest, however polite everyone is about it.
• Report format. Ask for a sample report before booking. You want numbered items, a photo per defect, location and trade tagged, and severity marked — a document a contractor can work through line by line. A prose summary is not a snag report.
• Re-inspection included? The de-snag visit is where the value lands. Confirm whether it's in the price, costs extra, or isn't offered — and prefer firms that treat it as part of the job.
• Qualifications and scope. Engineering or building-surveying background, tools beyond a torch and a spirit level, and a clear written scope of what is and isn't inspected.

The room-by-room checklist

Work one room at a time, door to window, floor to ceiling. Log everything, however small — the report is the negotiation.

Every room

• Walls and ceiling: cracks, uneven plaster, paint patchiness, stains.
• Floor: hollow tiles (tap them), lippage, chips, scratches on wood or stone.
• Every socket and switch works; plates straight and flush.
• AC cools, thermostat responds, grilles aligned, no rattle or drip.
• Doors: close flush, latch cleanly, no rubbing; handles tight; keys present.
• Windows: open, close, lock; seals intact; glass free of scratches.
• Skirting and trims continuous, sealed, unscuffed.

Kitchen

• Cabinet doors and drawers aligned, soft-close working, interiors clean.
• Counter surfaces unchipped; joints sealed; sink sealed to counter.
• Taps: pressure, hot/cold on the correct sides, no drips under the sink.
• Appliances (if included) power on and run a cycle.
• Extractor extracts; washing-machine point and drainage present.

Bathrooms

• Flood test: run the shower, watch the floor gully — water must reach the drain, not pool in corners.
• Toilet flushes and refills; no movement at the base; seat fitted.
• Sanitaryware unchipped; shower screen sealed and stable.
• Silicone lines continuous — gaps here become leaks downstairs.
• Extractor fan pulls; no damp smell or staining at ceiling level.

Balcony & outside

• Floor falls away from the door; drainage outlet clear.
• Balustrade solid, fixings tight, no corrosion staining.
• External door seals and locks; tiling and paint finished behind everything.

Building & unit services

• Distribution board labelled; breakers trip and reset.
• Water heater heats; isolation valves turn.
• Intercom, access cards and parking access all work.
• Meter numbers photographed for utility registration.

After the inspection

Send the report to the developer in writing, keep proof of delivery, and agree a rectification date. At the de-snag visit, check every numbered item — sign off only what is genuinely fixed, and re-log the rest. Anything still open when you take the keys should be listed in the handover documents as outstanding, not waved through. The paper trail is what turns a promise into an obligation.

Related: what's handing over each quarter · projects past their planned handover · Oqood and what happens to it at handover
General information, not legal advice — for a dispute, speak to a UAE-licensed property lawyer.