Handover was in March. In July they want the door planed because of a wet summer and “you were here.” That is weather and timber, or it is a defect. If you do not decide which, you will plane doors for free until Christmas.
When yes, when no
| Visit | Invoice? |
|---|---|
| Fault in your work inside the snag window | No — finish the job |
| They changed their mind on a tap | Yes — new extra |
| Someone else damaged it | Yes, or their other trade |
| After the window you wrote | Usually yes, unless you caused a latent mess |
| “While you’re here” on a callback | Yes — new price before you do it |
Write on the quote: snags reported within 14 days of handover will be put right; further visits are chargeable unless they are our defect. Then the July WhatsApp has an answer.
Happy to look. Handover was 12 March (14-day snag window on the quote). If it’s a defect in our work I’ll put it right. If it’s wear, weather, or a change, it’s a call-out — I’ll send a figure before I book it.
What people miss
No snag window on the quote. Then every year-two rattle is “part of the job.”
Fixing extras as snags to get the invoice paid. That trains them. Get the invoice. Then quote the extra.
A free visit that becomes an afternoon. Price the visit like a call-out if it is not your defect.
Going without photos. Ask for a picture first. Many “snags” are a different room.
Related guides
FAQ
- How long should the snag window be?
- Fourteen days is enough for most domestic jobs. Building work may need longer. Write a number.
- Guarantee vs snag?
- A manufacturer guarantee on a boiler is not you tiling for free in year two. Say whose warranty is whose.
- They are holding the final invoice for snags.
- Agree a snag list and a date. Do not let “snags” mean the whole bill waits forever.
- Call-out to diagnose, then it was our fault?
- Do not charge the visit if it was your defect. If it was not, the diagnosis visit stands.
