Short answer
What should I check in a new house before I make the final payment to the contractor? Walk the house room by room with a written list, and mark each fault with a photo. Check the walls, floors, doors, windows, water and electrical points against the drawing and the work agreed. Hold back the final payment until the list is closed, and keep a copy of the list. The checks here are practice, not a legal rule. Your contract and your engineer set the rest.
On this page (7)
A snag is a fault or an unfinished item that shows up when the house is nearly complete. Most snags are small: a crooked door, a loose tile or a switch that does not work. A few are serious: a wet wall or a pipe that leaks. A written snag list, closed before the final payment, is the owner’s main protection. This page is an owner’s checklist. It is practice, not a legal rule. It does not state a payment term, a defect period or a percentage to hold back. Those belong to your contract, and to the rules in your state.
Why keep a written list?
Faults that are not written down tend to be forgotten once the contractor has been paid. A list dated and signed by both sides shows what was agreed and what was not. Take a photo of each fault, and write the room and the position, for example “north wall, left of the window, 1 metre above the floor”.
Walk the house room by room
Walk every room with the drawing and the work agreed in the contract. Check these trade by trade:
| Trade | What to check | Where the check is explained |
|---|---|---|
| Walls and plaster | Hollow patches, a straight line, level corners, a smooth finish. Note any crack and ask the engineer whether it is acceptable. | How to check plastering work: hollow patches, line, level and finish |
| Painting | Even coats, no peeling or bubbles, the colour and finish agreed | Painting interior walls in a new house: the steps, in order |
| Hairline cracks | Any new crack, and whether it runs along a joint | Hairline cracks in plaster: causes and what to do |
| Bathrooms and wet areas | Slope to the drain, the wall height of the waterproofing, the threshold, and the ponding test done before tiles | Bathroom waterproofing: steps, wall height and the ponding test |
| Doors | Each door closes square, latches, and does not rub on the frame | Doors jamming in the monsoon: why it happens and what to check |
| Windows | Frames sealed at the wall, sills sloped, and no water entry in a hose test | Windows leaking in rain: frame, sill and drip, and where to start |
| Plumbing | Every tap and drain runs, no leak at joints, and the test records are in the file | Plumbing work during house construction: stages and inspection points |
| Electrical | Wiring and conduit inspected before the walls are plastered, and the electrical test report kept in the file. Switch and socket checks are practice; no published electrical guide is linked yet. | Stages of house construction in India: checklist and inspection points |
| Papers | The completion documents | Completion certificate vs occupancy certificate for a house |
How do I use the list at final payment?
These are practice steps, not rules:
- Give the contractor the written list and a date to close each item.
- Re-walk the house with the contractor once the items are done, and tick each one off on the list.
- Keep back part of the final payment until the list is closed, as your contract allows.
- Sign the closed list, and keep a copy with the drawings and the test reports.
- Keep the photos and the list with the house papers for later repairs.
What mistakes are common in practice?
These are practice points, not rules:
- Paying the final amount before the list is written and closed.
- Accepting a verbal promise to fix a fault later, with nothing written.
- Checking the paint and finish in bright light only. Look at the walls with a torch raking across them.
- Forgetting the outdoor work: the terrace, the drains and the paving.
- Not testing the taps, the drains and the switches while the contractor is still on site.
Frequently asked questions
How long should the contractor have to fix the snags?
This page gives no time limit. Agree the date in writing before work ends. A fixed date in the contract, or a letter, is the safest record.
Can I withhold part of the final payment?
Only as your contract allows. This page does not state a percentage or a rule. Ask a lawyer or your engineer about what the contract says.
Who checks the work?
You can ask your engineer or an experienced inspector to walk the house with you. The engineer checks the structure and the work against the drawing. You check the finish and the use.
These answers are practice guidance, not code quotes.
This guide is general information. Read the disclaimer. Your contract and your engineer decide what the contractor must fix.
Related guides
- Stages of house construction in India: checklist and inspection points
- Completion certificate vs occupancy certificate for a house
- Building plan approval for a house: steps and documents
Sources
- Practice guidance. No standard is quoted. Each trade links to the nearest published page on this site; electrical has none yet.
General information only. It is not a structural design or professional advice. Ask a licensed structural engineer or architect to check your plans and site.