Common snag list defects in Dubai homes

What to look for

Understanding frequent snagging issues helps buyers ask clear questions and document defects before they accept a property.

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Common defects covered

1. Settlement Crack — Masonry Wall — A diagonal crack running from window head to ceiling line, indicating differential settlement in the structure. Requires structural engineer sign-off before remediation.
2. Facade Crack — Concrete Render — Shrinkage cracks through external render exposing the substrate. Left untreated, these become water ingress channels — especially critical in Dubai's summer heat cycles.
3. Concrete Crack — Building Structure — A hairline crack propagating through the concrete substrate. Monitored with crack gauges during our DLP re-inspection visits to confirm whether active or dormant.
4. Moisture Infiltration & Mould Growth — Active dampness penetrating through the external wall with mould colonisation behind the finish coat. Our thermal imaging scan identifies the moisture plume boundary invisible to the eye.
5. Paint Delamination — Interior Wall — Paint film lifting from the substrate in sheets, typically caused by poor surface preparation or moisture beneath the coat. Common in bathrooms and kitchens at handover.
6. Peeling Paint & Substrate Damage — Multiple layers of paint peeling simultaneously, exposing bare substrate. Indicates incompatible paint systems applied without adequate key coat.
7. Cracked Porcelain Tile — Living Area — A through-body crack across a large-format porcelain slab, caused by screed movement or inadequate adhesive bed coverage. Our tap survey maps the full hollow tile extent.
8. Grout Joint Failure — Floor Tiles — Multiple cracked and missing grout joints across a tiled floor, indicating screed movement or thermal expansion without adequate movement joints in the layout.
9. Cracked Screed — Surface Layer — A network of fine cracks across the concrete screed layer, often revealing insufficient cure time or mix design issues. Documented before any flooring finish is laid.
10. Interstitial Condensation — Double Glazing — Condensation forming between panes of a sealed double-glazed unit, confirming seal failure and thermal bridge. The unit must be replaced — not cleaned — to restore performance.
11. Window Frame Seal Gap — An unfilled gap between the window frame and the surrounding masonry, allowing air infiltration and water ingress during heavy rain. A common finding across off-plan apartments.
12. AC Drainage Blockage — Ceiling Cassette — An obstructed AC drain line causing backflow into the ceiling void. One of the most common defects we find in Dubai off-plan apartments — and among the costliest to remediate post-occupation.
13. Exposed Live Wiring — Distribution Board — Bare conductors accessible without tools at the distribution board. An immediate life-safety hazard requiring isolation before any other trades enter the unit.
14. Plumbing Leak — Under-Basin Pipework — Active water leakage at compression fittings under the basin. Even slow drips cause irreversible damage to cabinetry and the screed below within weeks.
15. Door Frame Misalignment — Warped Leaf — A door leaf that binds in its frame, preventing smooth operation. Caused by inadequate moisture protection during construction storage or improper installation of the frame.
16. Window Handle Defect — Missing Hardware — A window handle that fails to engage the locking mechanism, leaving the unit unable to be secured. A security defect that must be rectified before client handover.
17. Fire Door Gap — Failed Smoke Seal — A gap exceeding 3 mm at the door leaf/frame junction on a rated fire door, compromising its ability to contain smoke and fire spread. A building-compliance defect.
18. Worktop Joint Failure — Water Ingress Path — An open joint between the worktop and upstand, allowing water to penetrate into the substrate and the cabinet carcass below. A leading cause of hidden mould in kitchens.
19. Cabinet Door Misalignment — Hinge Defect — Poorly adjusted hinges causing the cabinet door to sit out of plane with adjacent doors. Affects both aesthetics and long-term wear on the door edge and laminate.
20. Shower Tray Leak — Waterproofing Failure — Water tracking below the shower tray threshold and into the adjacent screed, confirmed with a flood test. Requires full tray removal, membrane reinstatement and re-tiling.
21. Sanitary Ware Chip — WC Pan — A chip through the vitreous enamel on the WC pan, creating a rough surface that harbours bacteria and is impossible to clean to hygienic standards. Replacement is required.
22. Silicone Joint Failure — Bath/Shower Surround — Cracked or absent silicone at the bath-to-wall junction, allowing water to bypass the tile line and saturate the substrate. A high-frequency defect in freshly handed-over units.
23. Balcony Waterproofing Failure — Ponding — Ponding water on the balcony deck indicating a failed gradient and waterproofing membrane. Left untreated, this penetrates into the structural slab and soffit below.
24. Render Delamination — External Wall — External render separating from the masonry substrate in sheets, producing a hollow sound on percussion. In Dubai's climate, subsequent thermal cycles will accelerate the failure.
25. Ceiling Crack — Plasterboard Joint — A through-tape crack at a plasterboard joint, indicating movement or inadequate jointing compound. In wet rooms, these open a path for moisture to track above the board.
26. Ceiling Sag — Water Damage — A bowed and stained section of ceiling board indicating prolonged water ingress from above. The board is structurally compromised and must be replaced after the source is resolved.
27. Drain Seal Failure — Shower Waste — The drain body has not been bedded into the waterproofing membrane, creating a direct path for water to bypass the tanking layer into the screed below. A flood test confirms the breach before any remediation.
28. Low Water Pressure — Domestic Supply — Static pressure at the kitchen tap measuring below 1.5 bar, pointing to an undersized pressure-reducing valve or a partially closed isolation cock in the riser. Recorded with a calibrated gauge at time of inspection.
29. Waste Run Gradient Failure — Below-Slab Pipework — A horizontal waste pipe laid at near-zero gradient, causing recurring blockages and siphonage of the trap seal. Our camera survey traces the run from appliance to stack to confirm fall and joint integrity.
30. Screed Fall Reversal — Balcony Deck — The finished balcony screed falls back towards the glazing threshold rather than to the drain, causing ponding against the sliding door sill seal. Standing water accelerates facade ingress and corrodes the aluminium frame base.
31. Deck Seal Failure — Membrane Puncture — A penetration through the balcony waterproofing membrane at a fixing point, confirmed by a 24-hour flood test. Water is tracking into the structural slab and will appear as a ceiling stain in the unit below.
32. Balcony Coping Seal Gap — Parapet — Open joints in the coping stone bedding along the parapet wall, allowing rainwater to saturate the wall core. In Dubai's extreme UV and thermal cycle, unsealed coping is one of the most common routes for external dampness.
33. Door Frame Gap — Architrave to Wall Junction — A visible gap between the door architrave and the plastered wall face, caused by frame shrinkage or plaster movement after installation. Allows air and insect infiltration and is a common cosmetic snag at handover.
34. Skirting Board Gap — Floor Junction — Skirting boards installed with a continuous gap at the floor line, typically caused by uneven screed or boards cut short. In wet areas, this becomes a moisture ingress and mould risk at the wall base.
35. Cabinet Alignment Defect — Wardrobe Carcass — A wardrobe carcass racked out of plumb, causing doors to swing open under gravity and drawer runners to bind. Traced to inadequate packing at the base fixing during installation.
36. Recessed Socket Depth — Below Flush — Wall socket faceplates set more than 5 mm below the finished wall surface, preventing plug pins from making full contact with the socket terminals. A safety and compliance issue flagged to the developer for rectification.
37. Exposed Conduit — Surface-Run Cable Route — Electrical conduit left surface-mounted and unboxed in a finished room, indicating incomplete first-fix or rerouting after plastering. A code non-compliance requiring either re-chasing or a proper surface trunking solution.
38. RCD Absent — Wet Room Circuit — A bathroom circuit fed from a MCB with no RCD protection upstream, in direct contravention of DEWA wiring regulations. Identified during our distribution board audit and requiring immediate remediation before handover.