Renovation & Fit-Out Snagging
Check the work
before you pay.
Your contractor says the work is done. Before you sign off and release the final payment, an engineer checks the workmanship, materials and finishes, and lists each shortfall for the contractor to correct.
DubaiAbu DhabiRas Al Khaimah
- For
- Owners whose renovation or fit-out is finished
- Book
- When the contractor finishes, before the final payment
- You get
- A photo list of shortfalls for the contractor to correct
The final payment
Once it’s paid,
it’s harder to ask.
While part of the contract sum is still outstanding, your contractor has every reason to come back and put things right. Once it’s paid, each return visit depends on goodwill. That is why the inspection belongs between ‘finished’ and ‘paid’. Our founders spent years on the developer and contractor side of delivery, so the list is written the way a site team closes out a job: room by room, most urgent first.
- 01
Defects hide at the joins
Tiler, joiner, painter and plumber each finish their own part. Gaps, open joints and missing sealant sit where one trade meets the next.
- 02
New work meets old
A renovation ties new finishes to existing walls, floors and pipes. Levels, colours and connections along those edges deserve a close look.
- 03
Fresh finishes flatter
New paint and clean grout look right on the day. A hollow tile, a fall towards the wrong corner or an uneven floor takes a tool to find.
How it works
Inspect first.
Pay last.
- 01
Works finished
The contractor says it’s done. Book us once the site is clear of tools and debris, before any sign-off or payment.
- 02
Send the details
Share the contractor’s quotation, drawings and finish schedule, so we check the work against what was agreed.
- 03
Inspection
An engineer checks the finished work room by room: tiling, levels, joints, joinery and the services touched.
- 04
Report within 24 hours
Identified shortfalls photographed, located and prioritised, ready for the contractor to correct.
- 05
Corrections
The contractor works through the list and tells you when it’s done.
- 06
Re-inspection, then pay
A re-inspection, as set in your quotation, confirms what was corrected before the final payment.
Tile by tile
Hollow tiles don’t show.
We check for them.
A tile can look perfect and still be hollow underneath, which is how cracks and loose tiles start. We check the floors with hollow-tile detection and mark each one we find on the report.
0 hollow tiles marked for the contractor
What we check
Tiling, levels and joints first.
Ordered for finished works: the surfaces a renovation changes most, then joinery, then the plumbing and electrics the contractor touched.
01Interior finishes & wet areas
- Tiles & stoneHollow areas, chips and visible repairs in new tilingHollow tile detection
- Levels & alignmentFloors, walls and tile edges out of levelSpirit level
- Grout & sealantsJoints, skirting and sealant where trades meet
- Drainage slopesFalls towards the drain in showers and wet areas
- Cracks & damageNew plaster, ceilings and paintwork
02Joinery, kitchens & appliances
- Cabinets & wardrobesAlignment, stability and finish of new units
- Doors & drawersHinges, runners and soft-close operation
- Worktops & splashbacksChips, cracks, joints and sealant
- Appliance installationFit, ventilation and accessible connections
03Plumbing & drainage
- Fixtures & connectionsNew taps, toilets, seals and accessible pipework
- DrainageFlow from new outlets, with a camera for blockagesDrain camera
- Leaks & moistureDamp around new wet areas and connectionsMoisture meter
- Hot & cold waterNew mixers and showers run hot and cold
04Electrical
- SocketsNew and moved sockets tested for correct wiringSocket tester
- Safety switchesRCDs / ELCBs trip-tested once the works are doneSocket tester
- Distribution boardLabels match the circuits after the works
- Switches & lightsEach one operated
Services are checked where the works included them. The work is measured against your agreement with the contractor and good workmanship practice.
Not the same as handover
New-build snagging vs renovation snagging.
| Topic | New-build handover | Renovation & fit-out |
|---|---|---|
| Who puts it right | The developer’s team | Your own contractor |
| Your moment | Before you sign for the keys | Before the final payment |
| Where defects cluster | Anywhere in a unit nobody has used | Where new work meets existing, and where trades meet |
| Scope | Every room and service in the property | The areas and services the works changed |
| Documents to share | Your handover notice | Quotation, drawings and finish schedule |
Every ELUMEX inspection
- Engineer-led25+ years in construction
- 2–4 hours on siteVisual, non-destructive
- Report within 24 hoursPrepared using Onsite
- Re-inspectionWhere your quotation includes it
Frequently asked questions
Questions before you sign off.
Short answers. Anything specific? Message us on WhatsApp.
When should I book a renovation snagging inspection?
Book it when the contractor tells you the work is complete and the site is cleared, and before you sign off or release the final payment. At that point the contractor still has a reason to return, and the corrections can be checked before the money changes hands. Tell us the date the contractor expects to finish when you get in touch.
What do you check the work against?
We check it against what you agreed with your contractor, such as the quotation, drawings or finish schedule, and against good workmanship practice. Send us whatever documents you have when you get in touch. If little was written down, the report still records each shortfall in workmanship, with a photo and its location.
Does the contractor have to fix what you find?
That depends on your agreement with them. The inspection gives you a clear, dated list to raise in writing, with each item photographed and located, so the conversation is about specifics. What the contractor is obliged to do is set by your contract; this is general information, not legal advice.
Can you inspect during the works, before the walls are closed?
This service covers the finished works. If you’d like a visit at an earlier stage, ask us about earlier visits when you get in touch and we’ll tell you what we can offer for your project. In the meantime, photographing pipework and cabling before it disappears behind tiles and plaster is always worth doing.
What if my contractor disagrees with the list?
Go through it with them item by item. Each finding carries a photograph, a location and a priority, so you are both looking at the same evidence. The report records what was seen; it doesn’t rule on the contract. Where your quotation includes a re-inspection, it shows which items have been put right.
Do you judge the design or the choice of materials?
No. We check how the work was carried out and whether the finished fittings and services work, not whether the design or the material choices were right. If a finish differs from what you agreed, for example a different tile or grout colour, we record it against your documents.
Can you inspect if we’re living in the property?
Yes, as long as the renovated areas can be reached. Furniture, rugs and stored boxes hide floors and walls, so clear what you can from the rooms that were worked on. Anything we can’t see or reach is noted as a limitation in the report, so you know exactly what was and wasn’t checked.
Do you inspect office and shop fit-outs?
Yes. Alongside homes, we inspect commercial fit-outs such as offices and retail units in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah. Tell us the size of the space, what the fit-out included and when the contractor expects to hand it back, and we’ll confirm the scope before you book.
Talk to us
Tell us about your renovation.
Send the property, its size and what the works covered. We’ll confirm the scope, a quote and a date before your final payment falls due.
Also useful: New-Build Handover Snagging