Practical completion - or substantial completion in US contracts - is one of the most legally charged moments in a construction project. It triggers the transfer of risk to the employer, starts defects liability periods, releases retention and activates performance bonds. The schedule of defects (snagging list) produced at this point defines what must be rectified. Precision is not optional.
Capturing the snagging walkthrough
The practical completion walkthrough typically involves the employer's representative, the architect or contract administrator, the principal contractor, and sometimes specialist subcontractors. With Listen, the entire walkthrough is recorded. Every defect is captured as dictated: its location, nature and severity. The AI summary produces a structured snagging list - room by room, trade by trade - ready to become the formal schedule of defects. For the site visit reports that precede practical completion, see our article on construction site visit reports.
Dispute prevention
Under JCT contracts (UK) or AIA standard forms (US), the schedule of defects and the terms of practical completion certificate are legally binding. A Listen transcript of the walkthrough provides an unimpeachable account of what was agreed - who accepted which items, who raised objections, what remedial timescales were discussed. In any subsequent adjudication or arbitration, this contemporaneous record is invaluable.
Send the Listen-generated email immediately after the walkthrough. This timestamped record pre-dates any subsequent disagreement about what was on the snagging list.
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