New Flat Snagging Checklist for Mumbai: A Room-by-Room Inspection Before Possession

A new flat snagging checklist for Mumbai buyers: tiles, hollowness, slopes, windows, doors, plumbing, electrical and paint, room by room, plus how to record defects and what RERA defect liability covers.

A new flat snagging checklist is the most useful document a Mumbai buyer can carry into a possession visit, and most buyers walk in without one. They arrive with family, a box of sweets and a builder's representative in a hurry, admire the view, test a couple of switches and sign for the keys. The defects they missed that afternoon turn up over the next year: a bathroom floor that holds a puddle, a window that lets in the monsoon, a row of tiles that sounds hollow, a socket that was never connected. Some of them are still the builder's to fix. All of them are easier to get fixed if they were written down before you moved in.

Snagging simply means inspecting a finished flat systematically for defects and incomplete work, and recording each one so it can be corrected. This guide is written by a finishing contractor, which is to say by the people whose work you are inspecting. We have run the finishing phase on Mumbai residential projects since 2004 and we snag every unit ourselves before it is offered to a builder for inspection. What follows is the same room-by-room approach we use, adapted for a buyer, along with how to record what you find, a general outline of the defect liability position under RERA, and an honest view on when it is worth bringing in a contractor to look with you.

Why snagging a new flat in Mumbai is worth a full day

Three things make snagging particularly important here. First, most finishing defects in Mumbai are water-related, and water defects are the ones that are cheapest to fix before you move in and most expensive afterwards. Second, once your own interior work starts, every defect becomes an argument about whether the builder's work or your carpenter caused it. Third, the monsoon is the real test of a flat, and if you take possession in the dry months you will not see it until June. A careful inspection can find many of the conditions that lead to monsoon problems before the monsoon does.

It is also a matter of leverage. Before possession, a builder wants the unit handed over and the final payment released. After possession, your defect is one ticket in a queue. Most responsible builders do honour post-possession complaints, and the law supports you, but the smoothest outcome is always a defect found, listed and corrected before you carry in the first carton.

Before the visit: documents to check

Snagging is physical, but a few documents are worth confirming before or at the possession visit. We are contractors, not lawyers, so treat this as a practical list rather than legal advice, and speak to your advocate or a qualified advisor on anything specific to your agreement.

• The occupancy certificate for the building or wing, issued by the municipal authority. In Mumbai that is usually the BMC; for Bhayander it would be the Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation. Possession of a flat without an OC carries real risks, so ask to see it.
• Your registered agreement for sale, particularly the specifications schedule. This is what the flat is supposed to contain: flooring, fittings, windows, kitchen, electrical points.
• The project's MahaRERA registration details, which you can look up on the MahaRERA website.
• The possession letter you will be asked to sign. Read it before signing and note any wording about accepting the flat in good condition.
• Any warranties or manuals handed over for fittings, lifts, water purifiers, video door phones or appliances installed by the builder.
• The floor plan with dimensions, so you can check carpet area and room sizes if you wish.

Compare the specifications schedule in your agreement with what is actually in the flat. A different tile, a lower-grade fitting or a missing item is a snag even if it is well installed.

What to carry on a snagging visit

You do not need professional equipment. A small kit makes the inspection faster and more reliable than eyes and hands alone.

• A printed floor plan, one copy per room if possible, to mark defects on.
• A roll of coloured masking tape and a marker, to label each defect on site with a number.
• A phone with a camera and a torch, or a separate torch for raking light across walls and floors.
• A spirit level, ideally two feet or longer, and a measuring tape.
• A small marble or ball bearing, to check floor slopes in bathrooms and balconies.
• A coin, key or small wooden handle, for tapping tiles to find hollow ones.
• A phone charger or a simple socket tester, to check every socket.
• A bucket or two, for water tests in bathrooms, balconies and the kitchen sink.
• A notebook, or a snag list template on your phone.
• A step stool, for checking ceilings, window tops and light points.

Ask the builder to have water and electricity connected and working for the visit. Many defects cannot be seen without them. If the supply is not live, note that as a snag in itself and ask for a second visit.

How to work through the flat

Go room by room, and in each room work in the same order: ceiling, walls, windows, doors, floor, then services. Doing it the same way every time means nothing gets skipped. Label each defect with a number on masking tape, photograph it with the tape in view, and write the number, room, location and description on your list. Allow at least two to three hours for a 2 BHK, more for a larger flat, and go in daylight so you can see surfaces properly.

Resist the urge to rush because the builder's representative is waiting. It is a reasonable request to take the time you need, and most sales and CRM teams are used to it. If they are not, ask for the keys for an inspection visit on a separate day before the formal possession.

Entrance and main door

• Door shutter hangs straight, closes without catching, and the gap around it is even on all sides.
• Lock, latch, safety chain, magic eye and door closer (if provided) all work smoothly.
• Frame fixed firmly, with no gaps between frame and wall and no cracks in the plaster around it.
• Door surface free of dents, scratches and patchy polish or laminate edges.
• Threshold or door sill level with the floors on both sides, with no loose or hollow sections.
• Name plate, bell and video door phone (if specified) fitted and working.
• Corridor finish outside your door undamaged, since this is part of what you will live with daily.

Floors: tiles, level and hollowness

Floors are where the most defects are found and where some of the most expensive ones hide. Take your time.

• Tap every tile, or at least systematically across each room, with a coin or key. A solid tile gives a dull, firm sound; a hollow tile sounds noticeably different and slightly drum-like. Mark every hollow tile.
• Look for cracked, chipped or scratched tiles, particularly near doorways and along walls where material was moved.
• Check lippage, meaning adjacent tile edges that are not flush. Run a bare hand or foot across the joints; you should not feel a step.
• Check the shade. Tiles from different batches can differ visibly. Look along the floor in daylight from several angles.
• Check joints: consistent width, straight lines, fully grouted, no gaps or crumbling grout.
• Place a long spirit level in several places and directions in each dry room. The floor should be reasonably level, with no obvious dips or humps.
• Check thresholds between rooms for trip edges.
• Check skirting: fixed firmly, consistent height, joints tight, no gap between skirting and floor.
• For marble or granite floors, check polish, stains, cracks and whether the stone has been sealed as agreed.

Hollow tiles matter for two reasons. They are more likely to crack when something heavy is dropped on them, and in wet areas, a hollow under a tile is a space where water can collect. A few isolated hollow tiles in a dry room are common and usually easy to re-lay. Large areas of hollowness suggest a bedding problem across the floor, and that is worth raising firmly and, if necessary, having looked at by someone independent.

Walls, ceilings and paint

• Hold a torch flat against each wall so the light rakes across the surface. Undulations, patchy putty and poor sanding show up clearly.
• Look for cracks, especially at the junction of walls and beams, around door and window frames, and where masonry meets RCC. Hairline shrinkage cracks are common in new buildings; wider or growing cracks should be noted and asked about.
• Check paint for patchiness, drips, brush marks, uneven colour between walls, and paint on switches, floors, windows or fittings.
• Look for damp patches, stains, blistering or white salt deposits on any wall or ceiling, particularly external walls, walls shared with bathrooms and ceilings below bathrooms of the flat above.
• Check that corners are straight and walls are reasonably plumb with the spirit level.
• Check false ceilings, if provided, for level, cracks along board joints, and neat cut-outs for lights.
• Check ceilings for cracks and for signs of seepage from above.

A damp patch in a new flat is not a paint defect, it is a water defect. Note where it is, what is directly above and behind it, and whether it is near a bathroom, a window, an external wall or a pipe route. Our article on finding the source of monsoon seepage explains how to tell the likely sources apart.

Windows: the monsoon test you can do in the dry season

Windows are among the most common sources of complaints after the first monsoon, and a few minutes at each window can tell you a lot.

• Open and close every sash through its full travel. It should move smoothly without catching, and close and lock fully.
• Check locks, handles and stays on every window.
• Check glass for cracks, scratches and chips, and that it is the specified type.
• Look at the gap between the frame and the wall, inside and outside where you can see it. It should be neatly filled and sealed, with no visible gaps or cracked sealant.
• Look at the external sill if accessible. It should slope outwards, away from the frame, with a drip underneath.
• For sliding windows, look for drainage slots in the bottom track and check they are not blocked with construction debris.
• Pour a little water into a sliding window's bottom track and watch whether it drains outwards. With the builder's agreement, spray water at the closed window from outside, if accessible, and watch the inside.
• Check mosquito mesh and grills for fixing, gaps and operation.
• Check the inside reveal and internal sill for cracks, damp or gaps.

We explain why windows in Mumbai leak, and why the sill and frame packing matter more than the frame material, in our guide to aluminium vs uPVC windows.

Doors inside the flat

• Every door opens and closes freely, latches properly and does not rub on the floor or frame.
• Gaps between shutter and frame are consistent; the door does not swing open or shut by itself.
• Hinges are firmly fixed with all screws in place.
• Locks, handles, tower bolts and stoppers are fitted and working.
• Bathroom doors are of a water-resistant material as specified, with the bottom edge sealed or protected.
• Frames are fixed firmly, with no gaps against the wall and no damage.
• The finish (polish, laminate or paint) is complete on all faces and edges, including the top and bottom edges if you can see them.

Bathrooms: slopes, waterproofing clues and fittings

If you check only one room thoroughly, make it the bathroom. Most of the serious and expensive defects in new flats are found here, and they are invisible until water shows them up.

• Slope: pour a bucket of water across the whole floor. It should run to the floor trap from every part of the room and leave no standing puddles. Place a marble in the corners and watch which way it rolls.
• Floor trap: water should drain away quickly without gurgling back or smelling. The trap grating should be fixed and removable for cleaning.
• Tap every floor and wall tile for hollowness, paying extra attention to the shower zone and the tiles around the trap.
• Check grout for gaps, especially at the junction between floor and wall tiles and around the trap.
• Run every tap, shower and health faucet. Check for adequate flow, hot water where provided, and no drips from spouts or joints.
• Flush the WC several times. It should flush fully, refill correctly and not keep running. Check the WC is fixed firmly and sealed at the floor.
• Fill the basin and let it drain. Check under the basin for leaks at the waste and trap.
• Check the geyser point, exhaust fan, lights and any socket near water are working and positioned sensibly.
• Look at the ceiling for any stains that may indicate a leak from the flat above.
• Check the door threshold: the bathroom floor should sit lower than the adjoining room, or have a threshold, so water does not flow out.

You cannot see waterproofing in a finished bathroom, but you can ask about it. A well-run project will have carried out a ponding test on each bathroom before the screed and tiles went down, with the result recorded. Ask whether this was done for your unit and whether there is a record. The answer tells you a good deal about how the finishing phase was run. Our article on common bathroom waterproofing mistakes describes what should have happened under your tiles.

A word of caution on doing your own flood test in a finished bathroom: holding standing water for a long period on a floor you have not been able to confirm is sound could damage the flat below if it does leak. If you are concerned, raise it with the builder and ask for a supervised test, or ask your neighbour below to report any marks on their ceiling after your first few weeks of use.

Kitchen: platform, sink, dado and service points

• Platform top is level (check with a spirit level along and across), firmly supported and free of cracks, chips or stains.
• Joints in the stone counter are tight and neatly filled; edges are polished and consistent.
• The sink is fixed firmly, sealed to the counter, and drains quickly with no leaks underneath. Fill it and drain it while looking below.
• Taps run properly with no drips; check whether a separate drinking water or purifier point is provided as specified.
• Dado tiles are level, with straight joints, no hollow tiles, and a sealed joint where they meet the counter.
• Electrical points for the hob, chimney, refrigerator, microwave, mixer, purifier and other appliances are provided as specified, working, and at usable heights.
• Gas pipeline, if provided, is installed and capped as appropriate; note its position relative to planned cabinets.
• Exhaust or chimney opening is provided and properly finished, with a cover or flap.
• Floor near the sink has no hollow tiles and no signs of water staining.

If you plan a modular kitchen, compare the positions of water, drain, gas and electrical points against your kitchen design now. Moving a point is far easier before cabinets are installed. Our kitchen renovation guide covers how these points should be planned.

Balconies, decks and utility areas

• Pour water on the floor and confirm it drains fully to the outlet, with no ponding against the wall or door.
• Check the floor sits lower than the adjoining room, or that there is a threshold, so rain does not enter the flat.
• Check railings and glass balustrades are firmly fixed, at a safe height, with no sharp edges or gaps a child could pass through.
• Tap tiles for hollowness and check for cracks.
• Check the junction between the floor and the parapet or wall for gaps in the grout or skirting.
• In utility areas, check the washing machine inlet and drain points and the slope to the outlet.
• Check any drain outlets are clear of construction debris.

Electrical: every point, every switch

Electrical snags are usually quick to fix, but only if they are found before walls are covered by wardrobes and panelling.

• Count the points in each room against the specification: light points, fan points, switches, sockets of each rating, AC points, TV and data points.
• Test every socket with a phone charger or a socket tester.
• Operate every switch and check it controls what it should.
• Check the distribution board: labelled circuits, MCBs working, and a residual current device (RCCB or ELCB) fitted if specified.
• Check that switch plates are straight, flush with the wall and free of paint.
• Check AC points have the right socket and that the copper piping and drain provisions, if promised, are in place.
• Check the geyser, exhaust and chimney points.
• Check the doorbell, video door phone and intercom.
• Ask about earthing and whether the installation has been tested; ask for any test records.

Plumbing: pressure, drains and hidden leaks

• Run all taps at the same time in a bathroom to see whether pressure holds.
• Check hot water lines, if provided, by running the geyser once connected.
• Look for damp patches on walls behind concealed pipe runs, especially below and beside taps and showers.
• Check under every sink and basin for drips at joints.
• Check that all drains flow freely and have water seals so there is no smell.
• Check water meter, if individual metering is provided, and note the reading.
• Check the location of stop valves and that they operate.

Common areas you will be sharing

Your snag list is for your flat, but the common areas are part of what you are buying into. Walk the lobby, staircase, lift, parking and terrace, and raise defects with the builder while the building is still in their hands. Society committees formed later often find it much harder to get common-area defects corrected.

• Entrance lobby finishes, lighting, letter boxes and signage.
• Staircase risers and treads of consistent height, handrails secure, anti-skid finish on steps.
• Lift finishes and operation, lift lobby flooring and cladding.
• Terrace waterproofing, drainage outlets and parapets, if you can access the terrace.
• Parking level drainage, lighting and markings.
• Fire safety equipment installed and apparently complete.
• Water tanks, pumps and meter rooms accessible and tidy.

The snags we find most often in new Mumbai flats

When our own supervisors walk a finished floor before offering it to a builder, certain defects come up again and again. They are worth knowing because they are also what a buyer is most likely to find, and several of them only become visible once you know to look.

• Isolated hollow floor tiles, most often near doorways and along walls where the tiler worked into a corner.
• Bathroom floors that drain to the trap from most of the room but leave a small puddle in one corner, usually the corner furthest from the trap or behind the door.
• Sliding window tracks with drainage slots clogged by plaster, paint or cement slurry from the finishing work around them.
• Paint on switch plates, window frames, tiles and door hardware.
• Door shutters that swell slightly and start rubbing once the flat is closed up and humid.
• Sockets that were never connected at the board, or a circuit that trips when a particular point is used.
• Chipped tile edges at external corners in kitchens and bathrooms, where material and tools were moved past.
• Grout missing or cracked at the junction of floor and wall tiles in wet areas.
• Skirting that has come away from the wall or has an open joint at a corner.
• Hairline cracks at the junction of masonry walls and RCC beams or columns, which are common in new buildings and should be distinguished from wider structural cracks.

None of these is unusual, and none should be accepted at handover. They are exactly what a proper snag walk exists to catch.

What is normal in a new building, and what is a defect

Part of snagging well is knowing what to let go. A new building is not a factory product, and some things are genuinely normal. Arguing about them uses up goodwill you may need for the items that matter.

• Fine shrinkage cracks along the junction of plaster and RCC members are common as a new building dries out and settles. Note them, ask that they be filled and painted, and watch whether they grow. Wider cracks, cracks that run diagonally across walls, or cracks that keep opening are a different matter and should be raised seriously.
• Natural stone varies. Veining, colour shifts between slabs and small natural pits are part of the material, not a defect, unless the agreement specified a particular selection.
• Slight variation in tile shade within one batch is normal. A visibly different batch laid in the same room is not.
• Some settling of doors in the first monsoon is common as timber takes up moisture. A door that cannot be closed is a snag; a door that needs a small adjustment after the first rains is maintenance, which most builders will still do if asked.
• Minor paint touch-ups after the move-in are expected, because moving furniture marks walls. Poor surface preparation, visible patches and drips across whole walls are workmanship defects.

The distinction to draw is between cosmetic imperfections that will not get worse and defects that affect water tightness, safety, function or durability. The first category is worth listing politely. The second is worth insisting on.

When to snag: timing the visit

The best time to snag is after the builder says the flat is complete, with services live, and before you sign for possession. If you can arrange it, a first inspection visit followed by a second visit to check corrections is far better than a single rushed appointment on the day the keys are handed over.

If you take possession during the dry season, plan a second look at windows, external walls and ceilings after the first heavy rains in June. Anything that appears then is still well within the defect liability period, and it is far easier to report it with photographs taken in the week it appeared than months later when the marks have dried.

How to record defects so they actually get fixed

A snag list is only as useful as it is clear. A vague list gets a vague response. A precise list gets defects closed.

• Number every defect and put the number on masking tape next to it on site.
• For each defect, write the room, the exact location (for example, master bathroom, floor, third tile from the door along the left wall), a short description and a photograph reference.
• Group the list by room, in the same order as you walked the flat.
• Mark defects that affect water tightness, safety or function separately from cosmetic ones, so they are prioritised.
• Take wide photographs that show where in the room the defect is, and close-ups that show the defect itself.
• Share the list with the builder in writing, by email or the builder's customer portal, so it has a date on it. Keep a copy.
• Ask for a written acknowledgement and an expected date for correction.
• Re-inspect after the corrections, tick off each item, and note any that remain.
• Only sign off an item as closed when you have seen it corrected.

If you are asked to sign a possession letter before all snags are closed, read its wording carefully. Where possible, ask for the outstanding snag list to be attached to or referenced in the letter, or note on it that possession is taken subject to the listed defects. If the wording concerns you, take advice before signing. Our aim is simply that there is a dated record of what you found and when you reported it.

MahaRERA and the defect liability period, in general terms

Buyers of flats in registered projects in Maharashtra have a statutory protection that is worth knowing about in outline. Under Section 14(3) of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, as it is generally read, if a structural defect or any other defect in workmanship, quality or provision of services, or any other obligation of the promoter under the agreement for sale, is brought to the promoter's notice within five years from the date of handing over possession, the promoter is required to rectify it without further charge within thirty days. If the promoter fails to do so, the allottee is entitled to seek appropriate compensation under the Act.

A few practical points follow from this, stated carefully because we are not lawyers.

• The five-year window runs from the date of handing over possession, which is one reason that date and your snag list should both be clearly recorded.
• The provision covers workmanship and quality, not only structure, which in practice includes much of what shows up in finishing work, such as seepage, tiling and fittings. How a particular defect is treated can depend on the facts and on your agreement.
• Damage caused by the owner's own interior work, misuse or alterations is generally a different matter. This is one of the strongest reasons to snag and record before your interiors begin.
• If a defect is not addressed, MahaRERA provides a complaint mechanism, and there is also a conciliation route for disputes. The details, fees and procedures are set by the authority and should be checked on the MahaRERA website or with an advisor.
• Your agreement for sale may contain its own clauses on defects and possession. Read them alongside the Act.

MahaRERA has also introduced requirements for developers to certify construction quality on registered projects, which we discuss in our article on the quality assurance certificate. For a buyer, the practical point is simpler: the law gives you a route, and a well-documented snag list is what makes that route straightforward to use.

Snag before your interiors start, not after

The most common mistake we see is buyers taking possession and immediately starting interior work. The carpenter arrives, wardrobes go up against walls, false ceilings cover the slab, the modular kitchen hides the platform and plumbing, and wallpaper covers the cracks. Six months later a damp patch appears, and the first question from the builder is whether your contractor damaged something.

• Complete snagging and get the major snags closed before any interior contractor starts.
• Photograph every room from each corner on the day you take possession, as a record of its condition.
• Ask your interior contractor to report anything they find when they open up a wall or ceiling, before they cover it.
• Avoid chasing walls or core-cutting near bathrooms and kitchens without knowing where the concealed pipes run.
• Do not tile over a hollow tile or paint over a damp patch; record it and get the cause fixed.

Which snags are urgent and which can wait

Not every snag is equal, and it helps to be clear with the builder about priorities.

• Urgent before moving in: water leaks, drainage and slope problems in wet areas, electrical safety issues, faulty main door locks, broken glass, unsafe railings, missing earthing or residual current protection.
• Before interiors: hollow tiles, cracked tiles, window operation and sealing, plumbing points in the wrong position, missing electrical points, damp patches.
• Can be done alongside or after moving in: paint touch-ups, minor scratches, door alignment, grout touch-ups, small hardware adjustments.

When to bring in a contractor to snag with you

Most buyers can find the majority of visible snags themselves with a good checklist and patience. There are situations where it is worth having an experienced finishing contractor or an independent inspector walk the flat with you.

• You find widespread hollowness in floors or walls, or several bathrooms with slope problems. That suggests a method issue, and you need to understand what the correction should be.
• There are damp patches or efflorescence in a new flat, and you want to understand the likely source before the builder proposes a paint-over.
• You are about to spend significantly on interiors and want certainty that you are not covering defects.
• You are buying a resale flat in a newer building, where there is no builder snag process at all.
• The builder's response to your snag list is that everything is within tolerance, and you want a knowledgeable second opinion.
• You live abroad or outside Mumbai and cannot spend a full day at the flat.

What a contractor brings is not a longer list but a better-judged one: which snags matter, what the proper correction is, and whether the proposed fix actually addresses the cause. A hollow tile can be re-laid properly, or the grout can be scraped and refilled to make it look fixed. A damp patch can have its source closed, or it can be painted. Knowing the difference is the value.

What good correction looks like

• Hollow tiles lifted and re-laid on a full bed, not just re-grouted.
• Bathroom slope problems corrected by re-laying the affected tiles to a proper fall, with the waterproofing checked if the floor is opened.
• Window leaks addressed at the sill, the frame packing and the external joint, not just with a fresh bead of silicone inside.
• Damp patches traced to their source and the source closed before any plaster or paint repair.
• Replacement tiles from the same batch where possible, or chosen carefully to match.
• Paint touch-ups extended to a full wall or a natural break, so patches do not show.

A note for builders: snag it before the buyer does

Builders and developers reading this will recognise most of the list. The most efficient way to handle buyer snagging is to have done it already. When the finishing contractor walks and corrects every unit against a checklist before it is offered for inspection, the buyer's visit becomes a confirmation rather than a complaint session, the CRM team has fewer tickets, and possession dates hold. That is how we run handover on the projects we finish, and it is one of the questions worth asking any finishing subcontractor before appointment.

Snagging help from Chamunda Constructions

Chamunda Constructions has been finishing residential buildings in Mumbai since 2004, founded and led by Bhadresh Chavda from Kandivali West. We know what a well-finished flat should look like because we produce them, and we know where defects hide because our own teams snag every unit before handover. For buyers taking possession of a new flat in Kandivali, Malad, Borivali, Andheri, Bhayander or elsewhere in Mumbai, we can walk the flat with you, help you judge what matters and what the correct fix is, and, where you want it, carry out corrections or renovation afterwards.

If you have a possession date coming up, or you have already moved in and something is not right, contact us for a site visit. The earlier a defect is found and written down, the simpler it is to get it fixed.