Door Snagging Guide: Inspect & Fix Defects India 2026

Door snagging is the practical, room-by-room job of finding and listing every door defect before you accept a finished home or fit-out — and getting each one fixed while the contractor is still on the hook. A snag list (the punch-list at handover) is your written record of what is wrong: the binding leaf that catches the frame, the gap that runs from 1mm to 6mm down one edge, the latch that needs a slam to engage, the chipped lipping, the paint run, the loose lever. Doors are touched dozens of times a day, so a snag missed at handover becomes a daily annoyance you pay to fix yourself once the defect liability period expires. This guide shows you how to inspect a fitted door systematically, what tolerances to expect, and how to record and rectify snags so handover is clean. For the wider picture of how a door is fitted and accepted, start at the complete door guide.

What a door snag list is — and why it matters

A snag list is simply a table of defects, one row per item, written down so nothing is argued about later. In Indian practice it is raised at handover, before final payment, and it sits inside the defect liability period (DLP) — commonly 6 to 12 months on residential contracts — during which the contractor must return and rectify at no cost. CPWD specifications and IS 1200 (methods of measurement) and IS 1003 (timber panelled/glazed doors) set the workmanship benchmark your doors are measured against, so a snag is anything that falls short of that standard, not merely your taste. Snagging doors is homeowner-friendly work: you need a torch, a coin or feeler gauge, a small spirit level, your phone camera and patience. The skilled rectification — re-planing a binding leaf, re-mortising a hinge, re-hanging a bowed door — is the carpenter's job, but spotting and recording it accurately is yours, and it is where most of the value is. Keep your list aligned with the formal acceptance criteria so a passed door genuinely passes.

How to inspect a fitted door — the systematic sweep

Inspect every door the same way, in the same order, so you never miss a zone. The map below shows the six inspection zones; work them top-to-bottom, hinge-edge to lock-edge, then operate the door. A repeatable routine like this catches far more than a glance, and it mirrors the structured door inspection checklist a professional snagger would use.

Look, then operate

First look at the static door — gaps, faces, edges, hardware — then operate it. Open it slowly through its full swing: a good leaf moves freely and stays put wherever you leave it. If it drifts shut or springs open on its own (a self-swinging door), the frame is out of plumb or the hinges are misaligned. Close it: a properly hung door latches first time with a light push, with no slam and no rattle. Operate the lever one-handed (the door operation testing routine covers this in full) and listen for squeaks. Run a coin or feeler gauge down the closing edge to read the gap — see the door gap inspection method for what an even reveal should look like.

The common door defects to look for

Most door snags fall into a short list of repeat offenders. Use the catalogue below to name each one precisely on your list — a clear cause makes rectification quicker and harder to dispute. For the full taxonomy and root causes, see common door defects.

Don't forget the life-safety doors

Two categories deserve extra scrutiny because the snag is a safety issue, not a finish niggle. On fire doors, check that gaps around the leaf are ≤3mm (4mm maximum), that continuous intumescent and smoke seals are present and unbroken, that the self-closer shuts the leaf fully into the latch from any angle, and that "Fire door — keep shut" signage is fixed — these follow NBC 2016 and IS 3614, and a missing seal or a non-closing leaf is a serious snag, not a cosmetic one. See fire-door installation compliance. On accessible doors, confirm a lever handle (not a knob) operable one-handed, with the lever centre in the 800–1100mm band per the RPwD Act 2016 / Harmonised Guidelines, and that the door does not require excessive force or jam against free egress.

Acceptance tolerances — what "good" actually means

A snag is only a snag if the door falls outside the accepted tolerance. Use these rule-of-thumb figures to judge fairly — they keep your list credible and stop arguments at handover.

The door acceptance tolerance checker turns these into a quick pass/fail for each door, and the door snagging checklist generator builds a printable, door-by-door punch-list keyed to your schedule so nothing is missed.

Recording and rectifying — closing the list out

A snag you cannot prove is a snag you will pay to fix. Record each item with the door reference/number (from the schedule), the room, a clear description with the suspected cause, and a photo — your phone date-stamps it, which matters inside the DLP. Hand the list to the contractor in writing, agree a rectification date, and re-inspect before you sign off; mark each row open or closed and only close it once you have re-checked the door yourself. Hold a sensible portion of the final payment against unresolved snags, and keep the closed list with your handover pack and warranties. Snags found later still fall under the DLP, so report them promptly. A disciplined snag list is the bridge between fitting and a clean door handover — get it right and you take possession of doors that work, not a quiet list of jobs you will end up doing yourself.

Frequently asked questions

What is a door snag list?

A snag list is your written, door-by-door record of defects at handover — binding leaves, uneven gaps, doors that won't latch, chipped edges, paint runs and loose hardware. It is raised before final payment and rectified within the defect liability period (commonly 6 to 12 months in India), during which the contractor must fix listed faults at no cost to you.

How do I snag a door myself?

Work every door the same way: look at the static door first — head and side gaps, faces, edges and hardware — then operate it. Check the reveal is an even 2–4mm, that the leaf stays put when half-open, latches first time with a light push, and self-closes fully if a closer is fitted. Record each fault with the door number, room, description and a photo.

Why does my new door bind or catch the frame?

Binding usually means a hinge recess was cut too deep, the hinges are out of line, or the frame is not plumb, so the leaf rubs the frame as it closes. It is a legitimate snag: the carpenter re-sets the hinge or re-plumbs the frame. A door that drifts open or shut on its own (self-swinging) points to the same out-of-plumb cause.

What gap should there be around a fitted door?

As a rule of thumb the gap around the sides and head should be an even 2–4mm, with the threshold gap even and per design. If the reveal varies, tapers from 1mm to 6mm down an edge, or the leaf rubs anywhere, it is a snag. On a fire door the gaps must be tighter — ≤3mm (4mm maximum) — with continuous intumescent and smoke seals.

When should I raise door snags, and how long do I have?

Raise the snag list at handover, before final payment, and re-inspect before signing off. Faults that appear later still fall under the defect liability period — commonly 6 to 12 months on Indian residential contracts — so report them promptly in writing with photos. Hold a portion of the final payment against unresolved snags until they are closed.

Are some door defects not worth fixing?

Most snags — binding, misaligned strikes, loose hardware, paint runs — are straightforward to rectify. A genuinely bowed or twisted leaf, however, often cannot be planed flat and needs replacement, and a fire door with an over-size cut-out into its core has lost its rating and must be replaced, not patched. Flag these as replacements, not adjustments, and insist on a tested leaf.