How do I track defects and how long they stay open?
Log every defect with a photo, location, the responsible trade, and the date it was raised. Track each one until it's closed and verified, and measure how long it's been open. Set a rule for how old is too old, and turn the project's quality score amber when defects pass it. The count matters less than the age.
Capture it properly
A defect without a photo, location and owner is a conversation, not a record. Log it from a phone on site, assign it to a trade, and the trade gets notified.
Age beats count
Twenty defects raised yesterday is normal on an active job. Five defects open for a month is a problem. Track the age of each open defect and the average across the project.
Close and verify
A defect isn't closed when the trade says so. It's closed when someone checks it. Keep a verified step so the list stays honest.
Put it on the project score
Set the quality status from the data: amber when defects pass an agreed age, red when they're blocking handover. Directors see the problem without asking for the list.
Common questions
Should we use a separate defects app?
Use whatever your team will actually use on site. The important part is that the data can be read into project reporting.
Who should close defects?
The trade fixes it, and a supervisor or PM verifies it.
How do we get trades to respond faster?
Automatic reminders on ageing defects, with escalation to whoever books that trade.
Do defects affect payment?
That depends on your contract. Good records make any discussion about it much simpler.