Kitchen Installation Snag List
A kitchen snag list often crosses several trades. Organise each observation around the actual component and required response, so the cabinet installer, tiler and coordinator do not receive one vague instruction to finish the kitchen.
By Blu Mint Digital. 3 minute read. Last reviewed .
Begin with scope and readiness
Record whether the kitchen is presented as complete, partly installed or awaiting a particular delivery. Keep the agreed layout or component schedule available for reference. Identify which cupboards, appliances and surfaces were accessible during the walk.
Separate visible installation observations from electrical, gas, plumbing or appliance commissioning. This guide covers recording and coordination, not technical testing or approval. Refer performance and safety questions to the appropriate qualified person.
Walk the kitchen in a fixed sequence
- Cabinet runs: identify each door, drawer, shelf and exposed panel.
- Worktop: record the location of visible marks, edges and junctions.
- Splashback and finishes: note the surface and specific unfinished or marked area.
- Fittings: identify missing handles, trims or other agreed components.
- Interfaces: record where work by one trade prevents another from completing.
- Documents and questions: list missing information separately from visible defects.
Use consistent unit references and take context photos of each run. A close-up of an edge can look identical in several places. If the installer has numbered drawings, include both the drawing reference and plain-language location.
Example of an interface observation
For example: “Sink run, end panel beside dishwasher opening. Lower trim not fitted; adjacent finish remains incomplete. Cabinet run otherwise presented for review.” The coordination question is who confirms the trim is ready before the adjacent finish is completed.
Record the nominated owner and dependency rather than assuming the painter or joiner will arrange it. A missing item may be awaiting delivery, excluded from the agreed scope or simply unfinished. Request clarification where needed and preserve that distinction using the incomplete-work guide.
Issue and verify a coherent list
Create separate Site Audit issues for work that can be assigned or closed independently. Keep related observations cross-referenced in the descriptions. Pro contractor filtering can produce focused PDFs, but it does not automatically notify trades or schedule the sequence between them.
For a client handover, retain the full kitchen record as well as selected contractor copies. Before the return visit, confirm access and whether stored contents need moving. Check repaired items against their original descriptions, not merely against a message saying the room is finished. Use the joinery checklist for component-level records and the tiling checklist for precise tile locations.