If you are thinking of building or remodeling your home, you may want to check out a new iphone/ipod app for capturing defects. The app, referred to as Snag List, allows you to document any quality issues that come up during construction. But what is so special about this app versus using a pad and paper or voice recorder?
A Picture Tells a Thousand Words
Have you ever tried to describe a problem in your home to someone? It can be tough to give an accurate description and location. I recall a phone conversation with a customer early in my building career that went something like this…”My roof is falling!” This actually turned out to be a loose shingle at the eave of the garage. If we had the ability to send pictures back then our lives would have been much simpler.
With the Snag List app, you can attach a picture to each item that needs correcting. A decent description, even from a novice, attached to a picture will get the job done 99% of the time.
Keep it Simple Stupid
When building a new home or addition, your time will be consumed with selecting products and colors, meeting with loan officers and architects,…etc. You don’t want to spend a bunch of time documenting defects in construction. This app should help you streamline the process. Each item can have a picture attached with a time, documenting when it was discovered…which should help with damage claims and theft. If a window is broken and you document it at the end of the day after the plumber was working on your new home, you will have a better shot at getting them to pay for it.
The Process
The process for using this quality control app is pretty simple. Here it is in a nutshell…
- download the app from itunes (cost is $2.99)
- setup new list details including name, location (job site community, address and lot number)
- hit settings and type in the email address where you want the list to go and include your contact details
- start adding snags (a.k.a. defects)…take a picture, type in the description and hit save
- when finished, hit the blue button in the top right corner
