Snagging is the final stage of kitchen installation — checking every element, adjusting alignments, ensuring soft-close functions correctly, sealing gaps and resolving any issues before handover.
- Systematic walkthrough of every door, drawer, trim and appliance before handover
- All alignment adjustments made until every gap and reveal is consistent
- Soft-close function checked and calibrated on all hinges and drawer runners
- Silicone sealant applied to all worktop-to-wall and sink-to-worktop junctions
What Snagging Means in a Kitchen Installation
Snagging is not an admission that something has gone wrong — it is a structured quality control process that every professional installation includes. Even on a well-run job, the process of installing dozens of components, one after another, means that some adjustments will be needed once everything is in place. Doors that were adjusted correctly early in the day can need a minor correction after the worktops go on and the room settles. A plinth that was cut cleanly may need a small gap filled once the floor flex is accounted for. Snagging is the stage where all of this is found and resolved.
We carry out a full snagging walkthrough at the end of every installation. We work through the kitchen systematically, checking every door, every drawer, every trim, every seal and every exposed edge against a consistent standard. Nothing is handed over until we are satisfied that the kitchen meets the quality level we expect.
What We Check
The snagging walkthrough covers alignment across all doors and drawers — checking that reveals are even at top, bottom and both sides, that doors are flush with each other and that drawer fronts are level. Any door or drawer that has shifted out of adjustment is corrected on the spot using the hinge or runner adjustment mechanism.
Soft-close function is checked on every hinge and every drawer runner. A soft-close mechanism that is not set correctly will either fail to catch the door at the end of its travel or will be too stiff and prevent the door from closing under its own weight. We set each one until it closes correctly.
Trims and plinths are checked for gaps and secure fixing. Cornices and pelmets are checked for tight mitre joints. Filler panels are checked against the wall surface for any gaps. Worktop joints are checked for level across the joint line.
Sealing and Finishing
At the end of the snagging stage we apply silicone sealant to all junctions between the worktop and the wall (or up-stand), around the sink bowl and anywhere else where moisture could track between surfaces. We use a neutral-cure silicone in a matched or neutral colour and tool the bead cleanly for a professional finish.
Any obvious waste — packaging, offcuts, fixings — is collected and removed from the site. We leave the kitchen clean and ready for your plumber and electrician to complete their second-fix connections.
Handover
Before we leave, we walk through the kitchen with you, pointing out what has been done and how to adjust doors and drawers if they need a minor tweak in future. We also note any items that are outstanding — perhaps a replacement door that is on order, or a worktop joint that the stone fabricator needs to finish — and confirm the plan for completing them.