Snagging inspections in Dubai: the complete handover guide

Updated 2026-10-24. Every rule in this guide links to its official source at the end of the page.

Key facts

• Installations: under Law No. 6 of 2019, developers stay liable for one year from handover for defective mechanical, electrical, sanitary and sewerage installations.
• Structure: developers stay liable for ten years from the completion certificate for defects in structural parts.
• Guardrails: required where a space is 760 mm or more above floor level, at least 1,200 mm high, with no gap that lets a 100 mm sphere through.
• Glass: safety glazing is required in critical locations: doors, side panels and low-level glazing.
• Wet areas: every floor drain holds a water seal of at least 75 mm; AC units and balcony drains connect indirectly to the drainage.
• Water fittings: in the buildings the code's drainage section covers, showers are limited to 8 litres per minute, basins to 6 and kitchen sinks to 7 (Table H.8).

Why snagging matters in Dubai

Dubai hands over thousands of new apartments, villas and townhouses every year, and most buyers receive the keys to a property they have only seen on plans and in a show unit. Snagging is the systematic inspection that turns "it looks finished" into a dated record of what is actually wrong: a door that rubs, a balcony rail that is too low, a floor drain that smells, a socket that does not work, a shower that leaks into the ceiling below. The record matters because the law gives the buyer a limited window in which the developer must repair defective installations at its own cost, and because a defect found before the property is furnished and occupied is far easier to prove and to fix.

A good snagging inspection is not a list of cosmetic complaints. It separates three things: items that affect safety, such as guardrails, glazing and exposed electrical parts; items that cause water damage or stop a system working, such as leaks, blocked drains and failed AC drainage; and finishing defects such as paint, grout and alignment. Each needs a different urgency, and the safety items are the ones the Dubai Building Code sets clear numbers for, which this guide lists so they can be checked on site.

The defects clock: what Law No. 6 of 2019 says

Article 40 of Dubai's Law No. 6 of 2019 on jointly owned real property sets the developer's liability for defects in buildings with common ownership, such as apartment towers and many communities:

The article also states that it does not prejudice any other rights or warranties owners have against developers under other legislation, and that an agreement made after the law came into force which contradicts these provisions is void. As guidance, two practical points follow. First, the one-year installation period starts at handover, so a snagging inspection at or immediately after handover uses the whole window rather than discovering faults in month eleven. Second, delaying handover does not stop the clock: if an owner refrains from taking possession, the period runs from the completion certificate. Sale contracts can add warranties of their own, so the contract should be read alongside the law.

Snagging, authority inspections and commissioning are different things

As guidance, three different checks are often confused. Authority inspections and approvals confirm that a building meets the requirements for completion and occupation; they are carried out by or for the authorities and are not repeated by a snagging company. Testing and commissioning confirm that systems such as drainage, electrical installations and air conditioning were tested and set to work; the Dubai Building Code, for example, requires every drainage system to be tested with air or water, with test certificates submitted to the Authority. Snagging is the owner's own condition inspection of the finished unit: what can be seen, operated and measured safely on the day.

The three support each other. A snagging report does not certify compliance, and a completion certificate does not mean every door closes properly or every shower drains. The strongest handover position combines a careful snagging report with copies of the test and commissioning records the developer holds.

What architectural and MEP snagging actually inspects

As guidance, snagging is an evidence-based review of the condition of a property at a particular date. Architectural items include walls, paint, floors, tile joints, ceilings, doors, windows, glazing, joinery, balconies and wet-area finishes. MEP means mechanical, electrical and plumbing: air-conditioning operation and condensate drainage, switches and lights, visible distribution-board identification, water supplies, sinks, sanitary fittings and drainage. A visual snagging visit should not be represented as a full engineering acceptance test. Agree in advance which systems can be operated, which are inaccessible, which certificates will be examined and whether authorised specialist tests are included. An inspector may report observed symptoms such as a non-operating socket, a slow drain or a cooling complaint without declaring the underlying cause proven. The work is most useful when observations are photographed, located accurately, categorised by urgency and given a clear recheck criterion so the developer or contractor can respond to identifiable issues.

Before inspection: drawings, keys, access and service status

As guidance, prepare a small handover pack before an inspector arrives: floor plan or room list, property reference, keys, access arrangements, developer or contractor contact, permitted inspection time and any known defects. Ask whether permanent electrical power and water are available and whether cooling systems can be operated safely during the visit. Check whether completed inspection or commissioning documents have been supplied for relevant building services, but distinguish missing documents from a defect in the physical installation. Record rooms that were locked or unfinished and components that could not be tested. If the property remains under construction, clarify safe site access with building management rather than entering restricted areas for an extra photograph. A new fit-out or alteration may fall within the Dubai Building Code's Table A.1 categories, depending on the changes made. Confirm the approval history and the limits of the inspector's authority before making a claim that the project is legally approved or fit for occupation.

Villas and apartments: which part of the code applies

The Dubai Building Code addresses villas and townhouses in its Part K, while other parts cover apartment buildings and other occupancies; the drainage section H.6, for example, covers all occupancies except healthcare buildings and low-rise residential dwellings, which Part K covers. For snagging this matters only in a practical way: the numbers a villa inspection checks come from Part K, and the numbers an apartment inspection checks come from the general parts. Many of the life-safety numbers are the same in both, as the guardrail rules below show.

As guidance, villas also bring items that apartments do not have: roofs and parapets, external stairs, boundary walls, gates, garden irrigation, a final inspection chamber on the plot and sometimes a pool. Apartments bring shared systems instead, where the snag belongs to the building rather than the unit. A snagging plan that starts from the property type avoids both missing items and reporting common-area defects to the wrong party.

Balconies, terraces and guardrails: the numbers to check

Guardrails are the most important life-safety item in a snagging inspection, and the Dubai Building Code gives clear numbers in section B.4.2.5.2, repeated for villas in K.5.2.5.2:

As guidance, these are measurable on the day with a tape and a 100 mm gauge. The commonest snags are height measured from the wrong point, where planters, ledges, bench seating or a raised step at the base effectively lower the rail; horizontal bars or decorative patterns low enough to climb; loose fixings and missing end caps; and glass panels with damaged edges or loose clamps. Anything that fails a number in the table is a safety item and should be marked as such, not mixed into a long list of paint marks.

Glass: safety glazing in critical locations

Section E.9.1 of the Dubai Building Code requires safety glazing in critical locations: glazing in and beside doors and low-level glazing, as shown in the code's figures, which must meet minimum classifications under BS EN 12600 or ANSI Z97.1 in line with the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code. As guidance, a snagging inspector cannot test glass on site, but can check what is visible: whether glass in doors, side panels and low-level positions carries a manufacturer's safety marking, whether panels are cracked, chipped or scratched, whether shower screens and balcony panels are securely fixed, and whether manifestation or markings exist where large glass areas could be walked into. Missing markings in a critical location are worth reporting so the developer can confirm the glass type from its records.

Architectural snagging: paint, tiles, doors and glazing

As guidance, walk each room in a repeatable order rather than inspecting only the most visible wall. Record cracks, surface blemishes, damaged corners, unpainted patches, loose trim, misaligned doors, rubbing hinges, gaps around frames and visibly damaged seals. Operate doors and windows through their normal range and note whether handles and locks function; do not dismantle hardware without permission. With tiles, inspect visible unevenness, grout voids, chips and water-exposed edges. A hollow-sounding tile can justify investigation but is not by itself a complete diagnosis of bond failure. Photograph each finding in context and as a close-up, with a room and wall reference. Where a material defect could affect fire performance, accessible movement, egress or glass safety, refer it to a competent specialist and the applicable Dubai Building Code and fire requirements. A cosmetic item and a potential safety issue should not carry the same priority merely because both appear in a photograph.

Sockets, cooker switches and protective devices

The Dubai Building Code's electrical part sets rules that are partly visible on a snagging visit. Single-phase plugs and socket outlets in homes and offices conform to BS 1363; sockets used outdoors are weather-protected to IP55; shaver sockets in bathrooms conform to BS EN 61558. Every stationary cooking appliance in a home has a cooker control switch located separately from the appliance, two-pole for single-phase appliances, connected to a separate final sub-circuit through a 100 mA earth leakage device, and cooker control units incorporating a general-purpose socket should be avoided so that general sockets can be grouped in a separate 30 mA RCD or ELCB section.

As guidance, the snagging visit checks what can be seen and operated safely: sockets fixed and undamaged, outdoor sockets of a weather-protected type, the cooker control switch present and separate from the hob or oven, distribution boards labelled, protective devices present and their test buttons operating when the electrical contractor or building permits it. What the visit cannot do, as the next section explains, is prove earthing or trip times without proper instruments and a qualified person.

Electrical snagging and the limits of safe testing

The Dubai Building Code's electrical provisions address protective earthing and the continuity of equipotential bonding, and identify residual-current devices among electrical protective systems. These are relevant inspection topics, but a snagging company must not claim that viewing an outlet proves correct earthing or that pressing a button is a substitute for the prescribed electrical test regime. As guidance, a basic visit can document defective lights, dead or loose outlets, damaged faceplates, exposed conductors, unexplained distribution-board labels and inaccessible isolation equipment. Circuit verification, earth continuity, RCD trip-time measurements and distribution-board investigations require suitable instruments and an appropriately qualified person under safe isolation procedures. Request available test certificates and record their dates and scope. If signs of unsafe wiring, heat damage or exposed energised components are present, report the safety concern and isolate the affected area through an authorised professional rather than proceeding with routine snagging.

Air-conditioning snagging: cooling, airflow and condensate

As guidance, compare the air-conditioning equipment listed for the property with the installed units, visible controls and accessible service points. Operate the controls within the manufacturer's instructions, note whether the unit starts, and document signs such as unusual vibration, water staining, damaged grilles, blocked filter access or weak airflow. A single air-temperature reading during a brief visit does not prove total cooling capacity or correct system balancing; more detailed performance testing may need operating conditions, time and specialist instruments. Inspect accessible condensate trays and drain outlets without opening unsafe or sealed equipment. Ask for available commissioning or maintenance records and check whether the design leaves access to fan-coil units and dampers. Where a complaint involves odour, moisture or repeated leakage, link the snag to a documented observation and recommend further diagnosis. Dubai Municipality's indoor-air-quality technical guidance discusses ventilation, filtration, coil condensate and operating records; do not promise a specific cooling outcome that the site visit has not established.

Taps, showers and toilets: checking flow against the code

For the buildings its drainage section covers, which are all occupancies except healthcare buildings and low-rise residential dwellings, the Dubai Building Code limits the flow of sanitary fittings in Table H.8:

As guidance, a simple check needs only a measuring jug and a timer: run the fitting fully open for ten seconds into the jug and multiply by six to get litres per minute. A shower delivering far more than 8 litres per minute may have had its flow restrictor removed; one delivering a trickle may have a blocked aerator, a partly closed isolation valve or a pressure problem worth reporting. Dual-flush buttons should operate both flush volumes, and the cistern should stop filling without water running continuously into the pan, which is one of the commonest silent leaks in new homes. The code also requires the surfaces of sanitary fittings to be easy to clean and maintain, so chipped or rough enamel is a legitimate snag.

Floor drains, traps and wet-area falls

The Dubai Building Code requires a water trap on every sanitary fitting, floor drains in every room with wet fittings or appliances, including kitchens, toilets, showers, cleaners' rooms and ablution areas, and a water seal at least 75 mm deep in every floor drain. Floor drains are fed by a fitting or by AC condensate so the seal does not evaporate, or fitted with an automatic trap primer, and a waterproof seal is required between the floor finish and the edge of the grating. Waste from bidets and urinals connects directly to the stack, not to a floor drain.

As guidance, the snagging checks follow from those rules: pour water into each floor drain and watch it run away freely; look at whether the floor falls towards the drain or water ponds in corners; check that the grating is fixed, level with the tiles and sealed at its edge; and note any sewer smell, which usually means a missing or shallow trap. Power Zone's drain cleaning and drainage guide explains traps, venting and odour diagnosis in detail.

Documents to ask for at handover

As guidance, a handover file is as important as the physical inspection, because it is what proves that systems were tested and how to maintain them. Ask the developer or contractor for:

• Drainage test certificates: the Dubai Building Code requires every drainage system to be tested with air or water as soon as practicable after installation, with interim and final certificates giving the site, system, location, type of test, witnesses, signatures and dates.
• Electrical test records for the unit's circuits and protective devices, issued by the installer.
• Air-conditioning commissioning and maintenance records, including filter types and the maintenance contact for the building system.
• Warranties for appliances, water heaters, pumps, waterproofing and glazing, with their start dates.
• As-built drawings or a unit plan showing isolation valves, the distribution board, access panels and, for villas, the drainage route and final inspection chamber.
• Operating manuals for anything the owner must maintain.

Record what was supplied and what was not in the snagging report itself, so missing documents are tracked like any other open item.

Plumbing snagging, wet areas and leak indicators

As guidance, run accessible taps and sanitary fittings when the property's water supply is available and inspection permission includes operation. Record dripping connections, slow drainage, defective mixers, inadequate hot-water operation, loose fixtures, visibly incomplete sealant and damp patches. A stain may be caused by plumbing leakage, condensate or a building-envelope defect; use the report to describe its location and evidence rather than assuming the cause. Review visible wet-area interfaces such as shower corners, bath joints, balcony thresholds and pipe penetrations, and refer suspected waterproofing defects for authorised investigation. Check whether inspection access is available to isolation valves, traps and service panels. If a leakage test or pressure test is needed, identify the specialist scope and any permissions; do not improvise a destructive test during a visual visit. The Dubai Building Code covers water services, sanitary provision and drainage, while the applicable installation records and design determine which acceptance tests should be available.

A room-by-room snagging checklist

As guidance, inspect every room in the same order, top to bottom and left to right, so nothing is skipped:

Common snags in Dubai new builds

These are typical patterns offered as guidance; each one is confirmed on site and recorded with a photograph and a location.

Snag report structure: evidence, priority and responsibility

As guidance, give each observation a unique identifier that can be followed through rectification and re-inspection. A useful row contains the room or location, element, description of what was seen, date, photograph, inspection method, whether operation was possible, priority, party asked to investigate and clear acceptance criterion. Keep safety issues separate from water ingress, functional faults and cosmetic defects, but do not imply that an internal priority label is a classification issued by Dubai authorities. Make limitations visible: no access, no power, unverified service documents, furniture obscuring surfaces or equipment not commissioned. Distinguish an observed defect from a recommendation to carry out a specialist test. A report may help communication with a contractor or developer but does not automatically create a legal obligation, establish liability or replace statutory inspection. Contract documents, the sales or tenancy arrangement, existing approvals and the applicable law must be checked before assigning payment responsibility.

Developer handover, defects periods and contractual rights

As guidance, inspect before accepting a new apartment or villa where the contract and site access allow, and submit the findings to the responsible counterparty using the notification method specified in the transaction documents. Keep a dated acknowledgment and photographs. For jointly owned property, Law No. 6 of 2019 sets the developer periods explained at the start of this guide; for other properties, and for anything the law does not cover, the sale contract and its warranties set the terms. A written complaint on its own does not guarantee a repair at the developer's expense. The relevant purchaser agreement, contractor warranty, building management rules and the governing legal framework determine rights and process. Dubai's laws on jointly owned property and landlord-tenant relationships address certain alterations, permissions and parties' obligations, but a snagging visit itself is not a substitute for legal review of a disputed defect. If the developer rejects a finding, seek the applicable contractual escalation route and independent technical evidence where needed. A documented report is particularly useful because it separates the property's initial condition from later wear, repairs or occupant changes.

Re-inspection after repairs and keeping the audit trail

As guidance, arrange a second visit only after the contractor or developer reports that specified items are ready for checking. Bring the original snag list, mark each item as corrected, partly corrected, not corrected or not verifiable, and take updated photographs from the same angle when possible. Do not close a leaking shower because the sealant looks new; inspect the reported symptom and document whether meaningful operation or a separate specialist test was performed. Note new damage caused during repairs as new items, rather than silently overwriting the original report. If a ceiling panel was opened, capture evidence of accessible services before it is closed again. At the end, preserve the original list, all revision dates, correspondence, completion notes and limitations. Completion of this client checklist does not by itself prove regulatory approval or comprehensive system commissioning; the relevant certificates and official inspections remain separate evidence.

A snagging timeline: before handover, at handover and before the year ends

As guidance, the one-year period for installations under Law No. 6 of 2019 suggests three inspection points rather than one:

The third visit is the one most owners skip, and it is often the most valuable: a property that has been lived in through a Dubai summer shows defects that no amount of looking at an empty unit can reveal. Reporting them before the year ends keeps them within the developer's liability for installations.

Common parts in a tower: what is the building's, not yours

Article 7 of Law No. 6 of 2019 lists what counts as common parts of a jointly owned building, among them the structural components such as foundations, columns, structural walls, roofs and facades; equipment and systems of main utilities; elevators, tanks and pipes; water mains and sewer pipes serving more than one unit; and other parts outside the boundaries of units that are needed for the building's operation or safety. As guidance, this tells a snagging inspector where to send each finding. A crack in a facade, a leak from a shared riser or a lift fault is a common-parts item for the developer or, later, the Management Entity; a dripping tap, a rubbing door or a missing socket inside the apartment is a unit item. Splitting the report the same way gets each item to the party that can fix it.

The tools a snagging inspector should bring

As guidance, a thorough snagging visit needs simple, honest tools rather than impressive ones:

• Tape measure and a 100 mm gauge for guardrail heights, opening sizes and gaps at the floor.
• Spirit level and straight edge for floor falls towards drains, tile lippage and door frames.
• Measuring jug and timer for fitting flow rates and flush volumes.
• Moisture meter and torch for damp at skirtings, under sinks and below wet rooms, and for looking into ceiling access panels.
• Thermometer for supply-air temperatures, recorded as an observation rather than a capacity test.
• Camera with dated photographs and a floor plan to mark each location.

Electrical test instruments belong with a qualified person working under safe isolation, as explained above; a plug-in tester can flag an obvious fault but does not prove earthing or protective device performance.

Snagging for tenants: move-in and move-out condition

Snagging is not only for buyers. Under Article 21 of Dubai's Law No. 26 of 2007 on landlords and tenants, a tenant must hand the property back at the end of the lease in the condition in which it was received, except for ordinary wear and tear or damage due to causes beyond the tenant's control, and disputes go to the tribunal. Under Article 16, unless the parties agree otherwise, the landlord is responsible for maintenance and for repairing defects that affect the tenant's intended use, while Article 19 requires the tenant to maintain the property as an ordinary person would maintain their own and not to make changes without the landlord's permission and the required licences.

As guidance, those articles make a dated move-in condition report valuable for both sides: it fixes the condition the tenant received, which protects the security deposit at move-out, and it gives the landlord a list of defects to repair under Article 16. A move-out inspection against the same report closes the loop.

Snagging after renovation and fit-out works

As guidance, the same method applies when a contractor finishes a renovation, a kitchen or bathroom replacement or a full office fit-out: inspect before the final payment, against the agreed scope and drawings, with the contractor's test records in hand. Renovations bring their own typical snags: services left disconnected behind new finishes, access panels forgotten, floor drains lost under new tiling, and new fittings that do not match the code's flow limits. Power Zone's fit-out and space planning guide explains the approvals and design side of the same works.

Who fixes what after handover

How to price and schedule a snagging visit in Dubai

As guidance, quote snagging separately from the cost of repairing defects. A clear inspection proposal names the property type and approximate size, rooms and outdoor spaces in scope, visual versus instrumented checks, the services that will or will not be operated, report turnaround and the number of re-inspection visits included. Extra travel, restricted-site arrangements or specialist tests should be named rather than silently assumed. Ask when keys and power will be available, whether a representative can open service rooms and whether photographs are permitted. Reserve enough time to inspect systematically without creating a false promise that every hidden defect will be discovered. Power Zone lists architectural and MEP snagging inspections as a service, but the site states that price depends on scope and visits, with an itemised quotation after a survey. No fixed inspection price or guarantee of defect-free property is asserted in this guide.

Snagging in Dubai with Power Zone

Power Zone provides architectural and MEP snagging inspections across all of Dubai with its own trained teams, part of all seven emirates, 20 in-house teams. Every inspection starts with a free site survey and quotation that sets the scope, the systems to be operated and the number of re-inspections; findings are recorded room by room with photographs and locations, safety items are separated from cosmetic ones, and the report is structured so the developer or contractor can act on each item and the re-inspection can close it. Work is covered by Power Zone's warranty. Snagging fits with Power Zone's fit-out, painting, tiling, waterproofing, drain cleaning and electrical work when defects need fixing. See Power Zone Dubai.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Dubai Building Code, 2021 Edition: B.4.2.5.2 Guardrails, K.5.2.5.2 Villa guardrails, E.9.1 Safety glazing, G.4.13.2 Plugs and socket outlets and cooker control, H.6.1 to H.6.2.4 and Table H.8, H.6.9 Drainage testing; checked 24 Oct 2026
2. Dubai Legislation Portal, Law No. 6 of 2019 concerning ownership of jointly owned real property, Articles 7 and 40; checked 24 Oct 2026
3. Dubai Legislation Portal, Law No. 26 of 2007 regulating relations between landlords and tenants, Articles 16, 19 and 21; checked 23 Oct 2026

Further reading

Fit-out, renovation and restoration in Dubai · Drain cleaning and drainage maintenance in Dubai · Waterproofing in Dubai · Electrical maintenance in Dubai · Painting in Dubai · Tiling in Dubai · Annual maintenance contracts in Dubai