# Snagger - Full Context
> Snagger is an AI-powered analyser for Australian building and pest inspection reports. Upload a PDF and get a plain-English defect breakdown, severity-rated issues, a "For negotiation" tab listing the findings worth raising with the vendor, tradie recommendations, and questions to ask before settlement.
> Tagline: "Find the snags before you sign."
> URL: https://snagger.com.au

## What Snagger does

Snagger analyses Australian building and pest inspection reports and returns a structured, plain-English breakdown of every defect found. It operates in two stages.

**Stage 1 - Free lite snapshot (no payment required)**
- Upload a PDF report (up to 2 files for the same property)
- Severity counts: how many Critical, Moderate, Minor, and Investigate issues were found
- Document type classification (building inspection, pest inspection, or combined)
- Overall condition summary in plain English
- Five audience-tagged questions to ask before settlement

**Stage 2 - Full analysis ($49 AUD, one-time)**
- Overall condition rating in the report hero, colour-coded by severity profile so the buyer reads the tone of the report at a glance (red for critical-heavy, amber for needs-attention, green for good condition, blue when further inspection is the dominant recommendation)
- Top 3 things to do callout - one to three imperative one-sentence buyer actions chosen from the most serious findings (Critical first, then Moderate by cost, then Investigate)
- "What works in your favour" positives section listing 3-5 source-traced positive observations to balance the read of the report
- Every defect from the report explained in plain English
- Severity rating per issue: Critical, Moderate, Minor, or Investigate
- Action timing per issue: Before Settlement, Immediate, Within 12 Months, or Monitor
- Relative cost indicator per issue: $ to $$$$ scale representing typical work scope (not a dollar estimate)
- Tradie type recommendation matched to each defect
- Direct links to find local tradies near you for quotes
- Audience-tagged questions per issue (tagged for inspector, owner/vendor, or conveyancer)
- Five top-level audience-tagged questions across the whole report
- Australian Standards reference per issue where applicable (e.g. AS/NZS 3000 for electrical, AS 1926.1 for pool safety, AS 4349.3 for pest/timber findings) - shown as a pill badge with hover tooltip giving the full standard title
- Page citations per issue: each finding card shows the page(s) of the source inspection report it was extracted from (e.g. `Page 14`, `Pages 14, 15`) appended to the location line
- For negotiation tab: a holistic verdict on the buyer's negotiating position - one of "Strong negotiation position" (critical, structural, safety, compliance, or active-pest issues that warrant raising with the vendor), "Budget for minor items" (only normal-for-age maintenance present, no negotiation leverage), or "Clean report" (no significant issues, tab hidden). Strong reports list the specific leverage findings; budget-only reports describe the post-settlement budget category
- Send to conveyancer: a sticky-nav button opens a modal containing a copyable, pre-formatted brief plus a public share link to the full report. Strong-position reports show a "Negotiate" button and a brief listing the leverage findings (top 10 by severity then scope). Budget-only reports show a "Share with conveyancer" button and a courtesy brief without negotiation framing. Clean reports hide the button entirely
- Delta badge comparing the paid analysis counts to the free snapshot counts

**Report navigation and tools**
- Tab structure: For Negotiation (shown when verdict is "strong" or "budget_only"; default tab in those cases; hidden when verdict is "clean"), Before Settlement, After Moving In, All Issues
- All Issues sub-filters: All / By severity / By tradie / By cost (for reports with cost indicators)
- Mark-as-reviewed checkboxes per issue, with per-severity progress tracking in the sticky header
- Expand all / Collapse all controls
- Public share feature: a read-only link anyone can view without logging in
- Downloadable PDF of the full analysis

## Severity levels in detail

Snagger uses four severity levels drawn from AS4349 inspection standards:

**Critical**
A safety hazard or major structural defect requiring immediate action. These are issues that pose a risk to the occupants or the structural integrity of the property, or that will cost significantly more if left unaddressed. Examples: rising damp affecting structural timbers, active termite activity, unsafe electrical installations, major roof structure failure.

**Moderate**
A significant defect that needs attention before or shortly after purchase. Not immediately dangerous but will deteriorate and increase in cost if ignored. Examples: gutters in poor condition, evidence of moisture ingress, deteriorated flashings, substandard drainage.

**Minor**
A maintenance item of low urgency. These items should be addressed in the normal course of property maintenance but do not affect safety or structural integrity. Examples: minor cracking to render, small gaps in caulking, surface rust on fasteners.

**Investigate**
An item the inspector has flagged that warrants further professional assessment. The inspector could not fully evaluate the item, or the issue is beyond the scope of a standard AS4349 inspection. Examples: suspected asbestos requiring laboratory testing, inaccessible roof spaces, specialist structural assessment required.

## Action timing in detail

Each issue in the full analysis is assigned one of four action timing categories:

**Before Settlement**
This issue should be resolved, or at least professionally assessed and priced, before you commit to settlement. Use it as grounds to request vendor rectification or a price reduction.

**Immediate**
This issue needs attention as soon as you take possession. It cannot wait.

**Within 12 Months**
This issue is not urgent enough to affect settlement negotiations, but should be scheduled and addressed in the first year of ownership.

**Monitor**
This item does not require active intervention now, but should be observed over time. If it worsens, reassess.

## Audience-tagged questions in detail

Every question generated by Snagger is tagged for one of three audiences:

- **Inspector**: questions to raise with the licensed building or pest inspector who conducted the inspection. These typically seek clarification about the scope or severity of a finding.
- **Owner or vendor**: questions to put to the current owner or their agent. These typically seek disclosure about the history of a defect, previous rectification attempts, or insurance claims.
- **Conveyancer**: questions that have legal, insurance, or contractual implications requiring professional advice.

This tagging means the user knows exactly who to contact for each question, rather than having to determine it themselves.

## Condition rating, top actions, and positives

The paid report opens with three at-a-glance elements above the per-issue detail.

**Condition rating.** A short phrase in the hero block, sitting directly above the issue count. The phrase is generated by the AI and adapts to the dominant defect category - a report with mostly electrical critical findings might read "Critical electrical issues - must be addressed before occupancy"; a clean report might read "Good condition - minor maintenance items only". The chip's colour is computed deterministically from the severity profile (red when critical-heavy, amber when there are moderate concerns, green when the property is in good shape, blue when further inspection is the dominant recommendation), so the colour signal is reliable even if the phrase wording shifts.

**Top 3 things to do.** A red-tinted callout below the executive summary listing one to three imperative buyer actions - verb-first ("Get a separate electrical inspection before signing", "Don't use the deck until a licensed builder has assessed it", "Negotiate the cost of remediation off the price"). Selection rule: one action per Critical finding (max 3); if fewer than 3 Criticals exist, fill remaining slots with Moderate findings ranked by cost indicator; then Investigate findings. Hidden entirely when there are zero Critical, Moderate, or Investigate findings.

**What works in your favour.** A green-tinted section between the Top 3 callout and the audience-tagged questions, containing 3-5 positive observations extracted from the source report (e.g. "Roof structure and tiling are in good order with no active leaks observed", "Hot water system is functional and in working order"). Every positive must be source-traceable; the validator pass drops items that aren't supported by an explicit positive statement in the original inspection report. Hidden entirely when zero positives can be extracted. The purpose is to balance the emotional read of the report so anxious buyers see what is working, not just what is broken.

## Negotiation tab in detail

Every paid report carries a holistic negotiation verdict driven by both the AI and a Haiku validator pass. The verdict has three possible positions:

- "Strong negotiation position": the report contains at least one of: a critical severity issue, a moderate issue with significant scope of work that is structural, safety-related, non-compliant, or active-pest in nature, or a cluster of moderate items that compound into a single significant defect (e.g. cracked tiles plus deteriorated flashing plus rusted gutters indicating a roof replacement is due). The "For negotiation" tab opens by default, lists the specific leverage findings as fully-expanded cards, and shows a "Negotiate" button that opens the conveyancer modal. Per-issue negotiation-action questions appear on each leverage card framed as what the conveyancer should DO (rectification request, price reduction, or conditional settlement term).

- "Budget for minor items": moderate and/or minor items present but none qualify as leverage. Reflects the reality of the current Australian market - B&P clauses are typically only effective for major structural, safety, compliance, or active-pest issues. Raising trivial maintenance items risks the deal. The tab opens by default and shows the verdict paragraph naming the rough post-settlement budget category. No individual items are framed as negotiable. The conveyancer button reads "Share with conveyancer" and opens a brief reframed as a courtesy share of the full report.

- "Clean report": no significant issues. The "For negotiation" tab is hidden from the tab strip entirely. The conveyancer button is hidden. The default tab is "Before settlement".

Defensive code-level enforcement: the analysis pipeline strips per-issue negotiation-audience questions from any issue NOT listed in leverage_issue_ids and clamps the verdict to a sensible default if the model returns invalid data. A Haiku validator pass cross-checks every "strong" verdict against the underlying findings; when the leverage items don't materially support a strong position (e.g. all are low-scope maintenance items like garden steps or sensor light checks), the verdict is downgraded to "budget_only", negotiation-audience questions are stripped, and a `validator_downgraded_verdict` event is logged to PostHog.

## Australian Standards alignment

Every issue card on the paid report can carry a small grey pill badge showing the relevant Australian Standard reference (e.g. "AS/NZS 3000" for electrical issues, "AS 1926.1" for pool fencing, "AS 4349.3" for pest/timber findings). On desktop, hovering the badge reveals the full standard title in a tooltip.

Standards are drawn from a strict allowlist of nine common AS codes covering electrical (AS/NZS 3000), residential building inspection (AS 4349.1), pest/timber (AS 4349.3), pool safety (AS 1926.1), bushfire-prone construction (AS 3959), plumbing and drainage (AS/NZS 3500), smoke alarms (AS 3786), glazing (AS 1288), and wet area waterproofing (AS 3740). The AI is told to omit the field entirely when no allowlisted standard clearly applies; a code-side sanitiser drops any value not in the allowlist before save. Wrong attributions damage credibility more than missing ones.

## Page citations

Each finding card carries a small citation showing which page(s) of the source inspection report the finding was extracted from. Citations are appended to the existing location line - for example `Exterior - Deck/Balcony · Page 14` or `Subfloor area · Pages 14, 15`.

The PDF text extraction wraps each page in `<page n=N>...</page>` markers in the stored raw_text. The AI reads these markers when generating each issue and emits a `source_pages` array of integers per finding. The AI is explicitly instructed to OMIT the field when it cannot determine source pages reliably - wrong citations damage credibility more than missing ones. A code-side sanitiser drops invalid values (non-integers, out-of-range numbers) before save.

Citations are populated for new analyses going forward. Reports analysed before this feature shipped do not have citations and cannot be retroactively populated because the source PDF is deleted from storage after analysis completes.

## Send to conveyancer

A prominent button in the report hero and at the top of the For-negotiation tab opens a modal containing a pre-formatted brief the buyer can copy and paste into an email or message to their conveyancer. The brief lists the top 10 negotiable findings (sorted by severity then cost indicator) with a one-line description of what the inspector found and a suggested action framed for conveyancer follow-through ("Request rectification by the vendor or a price reduction for this defect"). It also includes a public share link to the full Snagger report so the conveyancer can review the source detail.

The modal text is read-only on purpose - so the user can't accidentally remove the share link or mangle the formatting before copying. After paste, the buyer edits the bracketed placeholders ("[Conveyancer's name]", "[Your name]") in their email client. The share link is pre-generated in the background after the report loads, so the modal opens with no lag.

## Upload, payment, and analysis flow

1. The user creates a free account (email and password)
2. The user uploads a PDF from any licensed Australian inspector (max 50MB per file, up to 2 files per property)
3. Snagger extracts the text from the PDF and runs a free lite analysis using Claude claude-sonnet-4-6
4. The lite analysis returns: severity counts, document classification, overall summary, and five audience-tagged questions
5. The PDF is retained at this stage to allow the full analysis to proceed after payment
6. The user sees the lite snapshot results and can choose to pay $49 AUD via Stripe Hosted Checkout
7. On payment confirmation, Snagger runs the full analysis using Claude claude-sonnet-4-6
8. A validator pass then runs using Claude claude-haiku-4-5 to verify that every claim in the full analysis is supported by the source report text. Any field claim not supported by the source is removed
9. The PDF is deleted from storage. Only the extracted text and analysis output are retained
10. The full analysis is available immediately in the app

## AI model and validator pass

- Full analysis and lite analysis: Claude claude-sonnet-4-6 (Anthropic)
- Validator pass: Claude claude-haiku-4-5 (Anthropic)
- The validator pass reviews every field claim in the full analysis against the source report text. Unsupported claims are nulled out. Validator failures are non-fatal - the analysis is delivered with unmodified output if the validator itself fails, and the failure is logged for review.

## Standards and compliance

Snagger is built for Australian Standard AS4349 inspection reports. This is the standard that governs the format of building and pest inspections in Australia. Reports from any licensed Australian inspector following AS4349 are supported, regardless of which inspection company produced the report.

Works best with digitally-created PDFs. Scanned image PDFs (i.e. photographs of paper reports) may have reduced text extraction accuracy and are not recommended.

## Privacy

PDF files are deleted from Snagger's storage immediately after analysis completes. Only the extracted text and analysis output are retained in the user's account. Snagger does not share report content with third parties. The extracted text is retained so users can revisit their analysis without needing to re-upload the PDF.

## Pricing

- Free: upload a report, receive severity counts, condition summary, and five audience-tagged questions
- $49 AUD: full analysis, one-time payment, no subscription, no lock-in
- One payment covers up to 2 PDFs for the same property (for example, a separate building inspection report and a separate pest inspection report can both be uploaded for a single $49 payment)

## Trade specialists covered

- Licensed Builder
- Licensed Plumber
- Licensed Electrician
- Pest Controller
- Structural Engineer
- Roofing Contractor
- Waterproofer
- Asbestos Removalist

## Target audience

- Australian first home buyers unfamiliar with AS4349 terminology
- Interstate or overseas buyers who cannot attend the inspection in person
- Experienced property investors who want risks surfaced quickly
- Buyer's agents reviewing reports on behalf of clients
- Anyone who received a building or pest inspection report and found it difficult to interpret or act on

## What Snagger does NOT do

- Does not conduct building or pest inspections
- Does not provide professional building, legal, or financial advice
- Is not a replacement for a licensed building inspector or conveyancer
- Does not include cost estimates (this is intentional - cost estimates carry liability risk and vary significantly by location and contractor)
- Does not analyse strata reports at this time
- Does not operate outside Australia
- Does not allow anonymous uploads - an account is required

## Key pages

- Homepage: https://snagger.com.au/
- Pricing: https://snagger.com.au/pricing
- Sign up (free): https://snagger.com.au/signup
- Sign in: https://snagger.com.au/login
- Contact: https://snagger.com.au/contact
- Terms of service: https://snagger.com.au/terms
- Privacy policy: https://snagger.com.au/privacy

## Articles
- **First home buyer checklist Australia: from pre-approval to settlement** — Inspection reports explained · 14 min read
  URL: https://snagger.com.au/articles/first-home-buyer-checklist-australia
  Markdown: https://snagger.com.au/articles/first-home-buyer-checklist-australia.md
  Tags: before-settlement
  Description: The full first home buyer journey, broken into stages with tickable checkboxes. From saving a deposit to settlement day, everything you need in order.
- **Should I get a building inspection before buying at auction in Australia?** — Inspection reports explained · 11 min read
  URL: https://snagger.com.au/articles/building-inspection-before-auction
  Markdown: https://snagger.com.au/articles/building-inspection-before-auction.md
  Tags: before-settlement
  Description: Auctions in Australia are unconditional. Here's why a pre-auction building inspection matters, how to arrange one, and what to do if it finds problems.
- **How many defects is too many in a building inspection?** — Inspection reports explained · 13 min read
  URL: https://snagger.com.au/articles/too-many-defects-building-inspection
  Markdown: https://snagger.com.au/articles/too-many-defects-building-inspection.md
  Tags: understanding-your-report
  Description: Your building inspection report has 20 findings and you're wondering if it's a walk-away report. Here's how to sort signal from noise when the list is long.
- **Buying an ex-investment property in Australia: what to check in the building inspection** — Inspection reports explained · 11 min read
  URL: https://snagger.com.au/articles/buying-ex-investment-property-inspection
  Markdown: https://snagger.com.au/articles/buying-ex-investment-property-inspection.md
  Tags: understanding-your-report, common-defects
  Description: A wave of investor-owned established properties is heading to the Australian market. Here's what to watch for in the building inspection of an ex-rental.
- **The 2026 budget and property: what the changes mean if you're buying a home in Australia** — Inspection reports explained · 12 min read
  URL: https://snagger.com.au/articles/2026-budget-what-it-means-for-property-buyers
  Markdown: https://snagger.com.au/articles/2026-budget-what-it-means-for-property-buyers.md
  Tags: before-settlement, understanding-your-report
  Description: The 2026 Federal Budget reshaped negative gearing and CGT on established property. Here's what it means if you're buying a home, and why building inspections matter more now, not less.
- **Pre-purchase building inspection: what to expect and how to prepare** — Inspection reports explained · 19 min read
  URL: https://snagger.com.au/articles/pre-purchase-building-inspection-guide
  Markdown: https://snagger.com.au/articles/pre-purchase-building-inspection-guide.md
  Tags: before-settlement, understanding-your-report
  Description: A practical guide to pre-purchase building inspections in Australia. When to book, how to choose an inspector, what happens on the day, and what to do next.
- **My building inspector missed something - what can I do?** — Inspection reports explained · 12 min read
  URL: https://snagger.com.au/articles/building-inspector-missed-defects
  Markdown: https://snagger.com.au/articles/building-inspector-missed-defects.md
  Tags: understanding-your-report
  Description: You moved in and found defects your building inspection didn't mention. Here's what 'missed' actually means under AS 4349.1, and what options you have.
- **How much does a building and pest inspection cost in Australia?** — Inspection reports explained · 18 min read
  URL: https://snagger.com.au/articles/building-pest-inspection-cost-australia
  Markdown: https://snagger.com.au/articles/building-pest-inspection-cost-australia.md
  Tags: before-settlement, understanding-your-report
  Description: What a building and pest inspection actually costs in Australia, what makes the price go up or down, what you should be getting for the money, and how to spot a low-quality inspection.
- **What to check in a pre-settlement inspection in Australia** — Inspection reports explained · 13 min read
  URL: https://snagger.com.au/articles/pre-settlement-inspection-checklist
  Markdown: https://snagger.com.au/articles/pre-settlement-inspection-checklist.md
  Tags: before-settlement
  Description: A step-by-step guide to checking a property before settlement in Australia. What to look for, what to photograph, and what to do if something has changed since you signed the contract.
- **Can you negotiate the price after a building inspection in Australia?** — Inspection reports explained · 13 min read
  URL: https://snagger.com.au/articles/negotiate-after-building-inspection
  Markdown: https://snagger.com.au/articles/negotiate-after-building-inspection.md
  Tags: negotiation
  Description: Your building inspection found serious issues. Here's how to use the report to negotiate a price reduction or request rectification before settlement.
- **Building inspection report explained: a guide for Australian buyers** — Inspection reports explained · 11 min read
  URL: https://snagger.com.au/articles/building-inspection-report-explained
  Markdown: https://snagger.com.au/articles/building-inspection-report-explained.md
  Tags: understanding-your-report
  Description: What's actually in an Australian building inspection report, what the terminology means, and how to read it without a background in construction.
- **Is rising damp serious when buying a house in Australia?** — Inspection reports explained · 12 min read
  URL: https://snagger.com.au/articles/is-rising-damp-serious-buying-house
  Markdown: https://snagger.com.au/articles/is-rising-damp-serious-buying-house.md
  Tags: common-defects
  Description: Your building inspection flagged rising damp. Here's what it actually is, how serious it can be, which Australian homes are most at risk, and what to do before settlement.
- **What does 'recommend further investigation' mean in a building inspection?** — Inspection reports explained · 10 min read
  URL: https://snagger.com.au/articles/recommend-further-investigation-building-inspection
  Markdown: https://snagger.com.au/articles/recommend-further-investigation-building-inspection.md
  Tags: understanding-your-report
  Description: Your Australian building inspection says 'recommend further investigation' and you don't know if that's serious. Here's what it means, why inspectors write it, and what to do next.
- **What does 'major defect' mean in a building inspection report?** — Inspection reports explained · 9 min read
  URL: https://snagger.com.au/articles/what-does-major-defect-mean
  Markdown: https://snagger.com.au/articles/what-does-major-defect-mean.md
  Tags: understanding-your-report, common-defects
  Description: A plain-English guide for Australian first home buyers. What 'major defect' actually means under AS 4349.1, concrete examples, and what to do next before settlement.

## About

Snagger is built and operated by DVF Labs. Contact: support@dvflabs.com