Final Payment and Snagging: Finishing a Building Job Well
How to check the finished work, agree a snagging list, and pay the final balance with confidence.
The short answer
The final payment is due when the work is complete, and a snagging walk-round is how you both agree that it is. Done calmly and in writing, it is one of the easiest parts of a job to get right.
Towards the end of a job, walk round the finished work with the contractor, the quote in hand. Agree a written list of any small items still to finish or put right, and when they will be done. Then pay the balance as your payment terms say.
Snags are normal. Almost every building job ends with a few: a patch of paint to touch up, a trim still to fit, a gap to seal. A good contractor expects them and deals with them quickly. What causes friction is not the snags themselves, but vague complaints, surprises at the last minute, and money held back without a clear reason.
This guide covers what completion means, how to run a snagging walk-round, how to handle the final payment fairly, and what happens if something appears after you have paid. It is part of our guide to building quotes and payments.
Completion
What complete means for your job
Completion means the work described in your quote has been done. For a roof replacement, that might be the new roof covering, the flashings, the guttering in the quote and the scaffold down. For a rooflight, it might be the unit fitted, the opening made good inside and the waste taken away. Your quote is the measure, which is one reason it pays to have a detailed one.
Completion does not mean nothing could ever be improved. It means the agreed work is finished to a reasonable standard, with any small items listed and agreed. Our answer on what payment on completion means covers the term in more detail.
It helps to know the difference between a snag and a defect. A snag is a small unfinished or imperfect item, usually visible and quick to put right. A defect is a fault in the work that affects how it performs, such as a leak or something not fixed properly. Snags are dealt with at the end of the job. Defects that appear later are what a workmanship warranty is for.
The walk-round
How to run a snagging walk-round
Half an hour, done together, saves a long exchange of messages afterwards.
Arrange it in advance
Agree a time with the contractor near the end of the job, in daylight, when you can both give it proper attention.
Bring the quote
Go through it line by line. Is everything in it done? Is anything there that was not agreed?
Look area by area
Work through the job methodically, inside and out, rather than jumping between things. Take photographs of anything you want to raise.
Be specific
"The trim above the rooflight is missing" gets fixed. "It doesn't look quite right" gets a shrug. Name the item and where it is.
Agree the list and a date
Write down each item, agree who is doing what and by when, and send a copy to the contractor the same day. Our answer on what a snagging list is shows what a good one looks like.
Check again when it is done
When the contractor says the list is finished, go back over it. Tick each item off in writing.
What to check
What a homeowner can sensibly look at
You are not expected to inspect the work like a surveyor. These are the practical checks anyone can make.
Everything in the quote
Each item in the quote has been done, including smaller lines such as guttering, making good or removing old materials.
The finish
Visible surfaces are clean and neat, with no obvious marks, gaps or damage to the surrounding areas.
Anything that opens
Windows, rooflights, hatches and doors open, close and lock as they should.
Weathertightness
If rain has fallen since the work was done, there are no signs of water inside. If it has not, make a note to check after the next heavy rain.
The site
Scaffold, materials and waste have been removed, and gardens, paths and driveways are left as they were found.
The paperwork
The warranty, any product guarantees and any certificates the work needed have been handed over or are on their way.
Paying the balance
When to pay, and when to talk first
Most jobs end in the left-hand column. The right-hand column is about pausing to talk, not refusing to pay.
Usually right to pay the balance
- The work in the quote is finished
- Any snags are minor and agreed in writing, with a date
- The site is cleared
- Paperwork has been handed over or promised
- Any agreed changes have been priced and added
Reasonable to talk before paying
- A significant part of the quote is not done
- Something affects how the work performs
- The invoice does not match the quote and agreed changes
- The contractor disputes a clear, specific item
- Required certificates have not been provided or arranged
Holding back fairly
If something is not finished
If a significant item is unfinished or not right at the end of the job, it is generally reasonable to pay for the work that has been done and keep back an amount that fairly reflects what is outstanding. Tell the contractor in writing exactly what the amount relates to, and that you will pay it as soon as the item is done.
Keep the amount proportionate. Holding the whole balance over a missing piece of trim is likely to escalate things, and it can put you in the wrong if the contractor has done most of what was agreed. A specific, fair figure tied to a specific item usually gets the item done.
Keep it separate from a retention. Holding back money for unfinished work is about the present job. Keeping part of the price for a period after completion, in case of future defects, is a retention, and it has to be agreed at the start. Retention on building work explains the difference, and should you pay before work is finished? covers the other side of the question.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a trader must carry out a service with reasonable care and skill. If they do not, you can generally ask them to put it right, and in some cases you may be entitled to a price reduction. How this applies depends on your contract and the facts of the job. Citizens Advice publishes practical guidance on building work. This is general information, not legal advice.
Keeping it smooth
Timing the final payment well
The end of a job is when both sides are most keen to be finished, and that is exactly when misunderstandings happen. A little planning keeps it straightforward.
Agree the walk-round before the last day. If the contractor knows a walk-round is coming, they can plan to deal with small items while the team and tools are still on site. Snags raised after everyone has left take longer to get back to.
Check the final invoice against the quote. The balance should be the contract price, plus any changes agreed in writing, less what you have already paid. If a figure is different from what you expected, ask about it before you pay, not after.
Pay promptly once the work is complete. Your payment terms say when the balance falls due. Paying on time when the work is finished is fair to the contractor, who has usually paid for materials and labour weeks earlier, and it keeps the relationship in good order for any warranty call later.
Confirm the payment in writing. A short message saying what you have paid and what it settles, together with a record of any agreed snags still to do, closes the job cleanly.
After you pay
Problems that appear after the final payment
Some things only show up later: a leak in the first heavy storm, a crack as new plaster dries, a rooflight seal that was not quite right. That is what the contractor's workmanship warranty covers, so paying the balance does not mean you have given up on getting defects put right.
Report anything as soon as you notice it, in writing, with photographs and a description of where it is and when you first saw it. Check your warranty terms for how and to whom to report. Keep a copy of everything you send and receive, alongside the invoices and receipts from the job.
If you are unhappy at the end of the job and cannot agree a way forward with the contractor, our answer on what to do if you are not happy at the end of the job sets out the next steps.
Working with Mortaro
Completion and final payment with Mortaro
Mortaro coordinates domestic building projects. Your appointed main contractor, named in your quotation, carries out the work and provides the workmanship warranty, and your construction contract is with them. We do not inspect or sign off the work, so the walk-round is between you and your contractor, and it is worth doing.
If anything needs finishing or putting right, tell us. We raise it with your contractor on your behalf, follow it up and keep you updated, so you are not left chasing. Waste is removed on completion.
The balance is due on completion. It is legally paid to your contractor, and we receive it as their payment administration agent and pass it on without unnecessary delay. Your contractor's warranty is a minimum of 12 months across our network, usually runs from completion, and is often longer on larger works. Putting things right and payments explained cover both in full.
Straight answers
Questions about final payment and snagging
When should I pay the final balance?
When the work in your quote is complete, as your payment terms say. Any small snags should be listed and agreed, with a date. Our answer on when to pay the final balance covers it in brief.
Can I hold back the whole final payment over a small snag?
It is generally not a fair approach and tends to make matters worse. Pay for the work that is done and, if an item is genuinely outstanding, keep back an amount that reasonably reflects it, explaining in writing what it is for.
Does paying the balance mean I accept the work as perfect?
No. Paying on completion does not remove the contractor's responsibility for defects in their work. The workmanship warranty covers defects that appear afterwards, on the terms set out in your paperwork.
Who should be at the snagging walk-round?
You and the contractor, ideally together. Doing it jointly means you agree the list there and then, rather than exchanging messages about what each of you meant.
What if the contractor will not come back for the snags?
Put the outstanding items in writing, with photographs, and give a reasonable date. Keep a record of what you send. If an amount was held back for a specific item, it stays linked to that item, and it is paid once the item is done. Citizens Advice publishes guidance on what to do if a trader does not put things right. This is general information, not legal advice.
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