Skip to main content
Snagging Report Sample Dubai: What a Good Report Includes
The parts of a good report, one defect entry explained line by line, and a 10-point scorecard to judge any company's sample before you book.
On this page
- What a report is for
- Anatomy of a sample report
- Weak entry vs strong entry
- Score any sample report
- What a report can't do
- Sending it to the developer
- Snagging report FAQs
Quoted after a short scope call, all costs listed upfront.
Get a quoteA good snagging report lets the developer find, understand and fix every defect without calling you to ask what you meant. That means a number, a photo, an exact location, a category, a severity and a recommended action for each item.
Below is a snagging report sample for Dubai buyers, taken apart section by section, followed by a scorecard you can use on any company's sample before you book. It's written by the engineers behind Property Snagging DXB's services, who write the reports buyers send to developers.
What is a snagging report actually for?
It has two jobs. First, it's a repair file for the developer: their team uses it to find each defect, send the right trade and close the item. Second, it's your record. Under Dubai Law No. 6 of 2019, the developer must fix defective electrical, mechanical and plumbing installations for one year from handover, and structural defects for ten years. A dated, numbered report is how you show a defect was reported in time.
A vague report fails both jobs. "Crack in wall" doesn't tell anyone which wall, how big, or what to do, so it is easy to set aside.
Anatomy of a snagging report sample
Whatever the layout, a complete report has five parts. Check each one when you read a sample.
| Part | What it shows | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cover and property details | Unit number, building or community, inspection date, inspector's name | Ties the report to your unit and a date |
| 2. Summary of urgent items | Safety, water and electrical defects listed first | Tells the developer what to fix before anything else |
| 3. Room-by-room defect entries | Numbered items, each with photo, location, category, severity and action | The part the repair team actually works from |
| 4. Inaccessible areas and readings | What couldn't be checked and why; meter or test readings where tools were used | Shows the limits of the inspection honestly |
| 5. Re-inspection notes | Status of each numbered item after repairs | Lets you close the list item by item |
The room-by-room part should follow a fixed route through the unit, like the checklist our engineers follow, so nothing is skipped.
One defect entry, line by line
This is the level of detail to expect for every single item. The entry below is an illustrative format, not taken from a real inspection.
- Room
- Bathroom 2
- Exact location
- Floor between shower area and door
- Category
- Plumbing and drainage
- Severity
- High
- Description
- After a water pour test, water runs towards the door instead of the floor drain and stays in a puddle.
- Recommended action
- Correct the floor fall towards the drain, then re-test with water.
- Photo
- Photo 14, showing the puddle and drain
- Re-inspection
- Open
Every field answers a question the repair team would otherwise have to ask: where, what trade, how urgent, and what "fixed" looks like.
Weak entry vs strong entry: what gets fixed?
The same defect, written two ways. The strong version can be found, assigned and checked off without a phone call.
| Weak entry | Strong entry |
|---|---|
| Crack in wall | Bedroom 1, wall behind the door: hairline crack from the door frame corner towards the ceiling. Photo attached. Plaster, low severity. Fill and repaint. |
| AC not good | Bedroom 2: room did not cool after the AC ran; airflow weak at the ceiling grille. AC, high severity. Check unit and ductwork, then re-test. |
| Leak in kitchen | Kitchen sink: waste pipe joint under the basin wet after taps ran. Photo attached. Plumbing, high severity. Reseal joint and re-test. |
| Tiles bad | Living room, tiles next to the balcony door sound hollow when tapped; marked with tape. Flooring, medium severity. Re-fix hollow tiles. |
Rule of thumb: if a stranger couldn't walk into your unit and find the defect from the entry alone, the entry needs more detail.
How do you score a company's sample report?
Ask every company you're considering for a sample before you book, then tick these ten points. A report that misses several of them will be harder to use with your developer.
- The cover names the unit, building, inspection date and inspector.
- A summary lists urgent items (water, electrical, safety) first.
- Every defect has its own number.
- Every defect has its own clear photo.
- Each entry gives the room and the exact spot.
- Each entry names the category or trade.
- Each entry has a severity, and the report explains its scale.
- Each entry has a recommended action.
- Areas that couldn't be inspected are listed, with the reason.
- There's a way to record re-inspection status against the same numbers.
One more thing to look for: where the inspector used tools such as a thermal camera or moisture meter, the report should show those images or readings next to the entry they support. That is how a developer sees why a defect hidden behind a wall was flagged at all.
Our handover snagging reports are built around this structure, so buyers can send them straight to the developer.
What can a snagging report not do?
What the report does give you is evidence: dated, numbered and photographed. That is what you rely on if repairs stall, during handover or later in the first year.
How should you send the report to the developer?
- Email the PDF to the developer's handover or customer-care contact, with your unit number in the subject line.
- Ask them to acknowledge the report in writing and to reply against the item numbers.
- Keep the whole email thread with the report, your photos and your handover date.
- When they say repairs are done, re-inspect against the same numbers and mark each item closed or still open.
Send the report as soon as you receive it. Repairs and a re-check both have to fit inside your handover window, and every day the report sits in your inbox comes out of that time.
For the defects most reports pick up, see the 12 defects we test for.
Snagging report sample Dubai: FAQs
What should a snagging report include?
A cover with the unit, building, date and inspector; a summary of urgent items; numbered room-by-room entries, each with a photo, exact location, category, severity and recommended action; a list of areas that couldn't be inspected; and space to record re-inspection status against the same numbers.
How soon should I get the report after the inspection?
Agree the delivery time in writing before you book. The report has to reach the developer early enough for repairs and a re-check to fit inside your handover window, so a slow report can cost you time you don't have. Ask the company exactly when and in what format you'll receive it.
Should I ask for a sample report before hiring?
Yes. A sample shows you what you'll actually hand to your developer. Score it with the ten points in this article: numbering, photos, exact locations, categories, severity, actions, inaccessible areas and re-inspection status. If a company won't share any sample, ask why before you book.
Can I send my own snag list instead of a professional report?
Yes. Use the same structure: a number, room, exact location, photo and short description for each defect, sent in writing. A self-made list can't show hidden problems such as leaks behind walls or wiring faults, which need instruments like a thermal camera, moisture meter or socket tester to find.
Want a report your developer can act on?
Book an inspection and get a numbered photo report you can send straight to the developer. To talk it through first, request a call back. Your inspection is quoted after a short scope call, with all costs listed upfront.
+971 55 375 9257