Snagging and handover without the argument
Most handover disputes come from a standard nobody agreed in advance.
Handover goes badly for a predictable reason: the standard the work will be judged against was never stated, so it gets decided at the end, by whoever is most insistent.
Agree the standard before the work
Tolerances, finish quality, what constitutes acceptable making good. For steelwork that means alignment and level tolerances and coating condition; for mechanical work, commissioning results against design. Written down at the start, these are engineering facts. Discussed at the end, they are opinions.
Snag as you go
Inspecting progressively rather than once at the end means defects are found while the trade responsible is still on site and the work is still accessible. A snag found after the ceiling is closed costs several times more to fix, and generates an argument about who closed the ceiling.
Keep one list
One register, one status per item, one person responsible, one date. Parallel lists held by different parties guarantee disagreement about what is outstanding.
Distinguish defect from variation
A defect is work not done to the agreed standard and is the contractor's to correct. A change of mind is a variation and is priced. Conflating them is what turns a snag list into a dispute — and the defence against it is, again, an agreed standard written down early.
What handover should include
- Completed snag list, signed off
- Test and commissioning records
- As-built drawings reflecting what was actually installed
- Operating and maintenance information
- Warranty documentation and its start date
- Spares and special tools where specified