The Villa Snagging Checklist
A free, printable snagging checklist for a new or renovated villa in Dubai or Abu Dhabi: what to test before you accept the keys, the documents to collect, and how long defects stay the builder’s problem.
Send me the snagging checklist
13 pages to print and take round the house: tick boxes, a severity column and a snag log. We will show you the download straight away.
What is inside
The checks we would make on our own house before accepting it, in the order we would make them.
Systems first
Waterproofing and roofs, air conditioning, electrics and low current, plumbing and drainage, the pool, glazing and external works, each tested under load.
Room by room
Floors, walls, doors, joinery, kitchen, bathrooms, staircases and basement, with a severity column for every check.
A severity key
Critical, major and minor defects, with villa examples and what to ask the contractor for in each case.
Handover documents
The completion certificate, as-built drawings, warranties, manuals and certificates, and who issues each one in Dubai, with a note on what differs in Abu Dhabi.
Defects liability
How long the contractor and engineer stay liable under UAE law, and a developer under Dubai law, from when, with the article of the law for each period.
A snag log
A numbered log for location, photograph, date raised and date closed, so nothing is argued about later.
Why we wrote it
Our founder, Philip Chapman, ran P Chapman Construction, a premium residential builder in the UK, for 21 years, so we have been on the contractor’s side of a great many handovers. The snag lists that were closed quickly were specific, located, photographed and numbered, and arrived while money was still to be paid. This checklist is built to produce that kind of list.
It is general information, not legal or engineering advice. Your registered consultant carries out the statutory inspections, and a UAE-qualified lawyer should advise before you rely on a defects period or withhold a payment. For the reasoning behind each check, read our guide to snagging a new villa in Dubai.
If you would rather have someone walk the house with you, see our snagging and handover service or arrange a free 30-minute call.
Is your villa nearing handover?
Philip replies personally within one working day. The first conversation is free. Nothing you send is published, and it is shared only with the service providers named in our privacy notice.