Interview with Ged Brookes from Site Snagging Inspections

Site Snagging Inspections is an independent snagging inspections company that was established back in 2006.

They have inspected thousands of new-build private properties and also worked directly with developers and construction companies helping with their internal construction snagging right across the UK.

The 3 snagging inspectors that work for Site Snagging have between them over 65 years of experience of working in the construction industry and individually bring their own level of expertise to the table.

We spoke with Ged Brookes, partner at Site Snagging Inspections, on how they perform snagging inspections.

Can you share some snagging best practices?

We have over the years come to recognize those snags which are a particular bugbear to clients (i.e. those snags which are most frequently pointed out to us before we start the inspection).

#1 Inspect walls or ceilings in bright daylight

To any aspiring snagging inspector we would recommend fully scrutinizing any walls or ceilings – looking toward the natural daylight – for any patchy/uneven finish.

#2 Use your hand to feel any irregularities

However, before mentioning the walls or ceilings as an issue, check that they may well be intolerant as there is 2-3 mm tolerance on walls which appear uneven at the joins in the boards. Running your hand flat over the surface of the walls should help you decide.

#3 Take your shoes off to inspect the floor

Clients also get very upset about engineered flooring if chipped, paint splashed or if the boards are flexing. On the last point, we would suggest taking your shoes off rather than wearing overshoes as this you will find gives you a better feel for the floor.

#4 Pay special attention to chipped surfaces in new kitchens

Another helpful suggestion would be to pay particular attention to that all new kitchen as clients rightfully feel aggrieved when the surfaces of doors and worktops are chipped and the doors are not aligned or flush.

What did your site snagging process look like before using a punch list app?

From 2006 until 2017 we – like a lot of other snagging and construction companies – used Microsoft word and excel documents to generate our snagging reports which at the time were extremely time-consuming.

So time-consuming was the process that a snagging survey report would often take as long to produce as the actual time spent inspecting a new build and over the years we looked at countless ways of streamlining the process.

So taking the view that it was crucial to speed up our process to enable us to expand our business we made a point of looking at numerous field and onsite snagging apps.

Subsequently, when we first trialed ArchiSnapper we were extremely impressed with the time we saved and what could be achieved by using the ArchiSnapper software app and we have not looked back since. 

What are the benefits of using a punch list app?

We can’t underestimate what the ArchiSnapper snagging construction app has done for our business in the 2 years that we have been using the software.

For one we can undertake multiple inspections in the course of one day which we were hesitant to do in the past.

The app, with the use of iPad and Android tablets, allows photos to be taken with relative ease, with the option of annotating the images to pinpoint with accuracy the location of the defects. Add to that the software’s flexibility of describing in detail exactly what the issue is has been nothing of a godsend to us.

The report is being generated from the moment that the first defect has been documented, and after syncing with the server and a final check the report is good to go.

The other great aspect of the snagging software is the app’s capability for assigning defects and snagging issues and also for instantaneously sharing snagging documents, reports and construction snagging or punch lists with the project team.     

Without ArchiSnapper we would simply have not been able to grow our business the way that we intended. The construction defect app is quick, easy to use in the field and also user-friendly both for the viewer and the snagging inspector.

The report itself is well presented and looks very professional and the cost of using the app, when compared to other snagging apps, is also extremely favorable.

One of the most common questions asked by clients is “when will I receive the report?”. We aim to get the reports out to clients within 24 hours. This timescale is realistic with the help of the ArchiSnapper app as the report is virtually good to go once the inspection has been completed

If your company is still using Word or Excel docs to create snagging lists or is finding their existing defect software is not up to speed then I’d urge that you utilize ArchiSnapper’s construction snagging software and app by signing up for their free trial!

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Thank you Ged, for this interview!