Handover and Defects Checklist for Completed Projects

The final weeks of a building project are some of the most important — and most frequently mishandled. Practical completion, snagging, and the defects liability period are formal processes with real financial and legal implications. Understanding them properly ensures you get the quality you've paid for and protects your interests long after the builders leave.

What Is Practical Completion?

Practical completion is the point at which the building works are substantially complete and you can take possession of and use the building for its intended purpose. It doesn't mean everything is perfect — minor defects and incomplete items may remain — but the building must be safe, functional, and habitable.

Your architect, acting as contract administrator, formally certifies practical completion. This certificate has significant contractual consequences:

The defects liability period begins
Half the retention money becomes due to the contractor
The contractor's liability for liquidated damages (if applicable) ends
Risk and insurance responsibility transfers to you

Don't pressure your architect to certify practical completion prematurely. It's one of the most important decisions they make on your behalf.

The Snagging Inspection

A snagging inspection is a detailed, room-by-room review of the completed works to identify defects, incomplete items, and work that doesn't meet the specification. Your architect should conduct this systematically, and you should participate.

What to Check: External Works

Brickwork and stonework: Look for inconsistent pointing, staining, chipped bricks, or mortar smears. In Hampstead's conservation area, external material quality is especially important.
Roofing: Check for missing or misaligned tiles, incomplete lead flashings, and proper gutter alignment. Ensure valleys and abutments are sealed correctly.
Windows and doors: Open and close every window and door. Check operation, seals, and that locks function. Verify that glazing meets the specification (double or triple glazed, tinted, etc.).
Drainage: Confirm that gullies and downpipes are connected and that surface water drains away from the building. Check manhole covers sit flush.
External finishes: Render, cladding, or timber should be complete, clean, and defect-free.

What to Check: Internal Works

Walls and ceilings: Look for cracks, uneven plaster, paint misses, and visible joints in plasterboard. Check corners and junctions with a straight edge.
Flooring: Walk every room. Listen for squeaks in timber floors. Check tile alignment and grout completeness. Verify floor finishes match the specification.
Joinery: Open every cupboard, drawer, and internal door. Check alignment, handles, and catches. Fitted furniture should be level, plumb, and securely fixed.
Kitchen and bathrooms: Run every tap at full pressure. Flush toilets. Check for leaks beneath sinks. Verify that tiling is complete behind appliances and in corners.
Electrical: Test every socket, switch, and light fitting. Check that dimmer switches operate smoothly. Verify that the consumer unit is labelled correctly.
Heating and hot water: Run the heating system. Check every radiator for heat output and bleed any that are cold at the top. Run hot water and verify the system reaches temperature.
Ventilation: Check that extractors in kitchens, bathrooms, and utility rooms are connected and functioning. Trickle vents in windows should operate freely.

What to Check: Documentation

Building control completion certificate: This is essential. Without it, you cannot demonstrate that the works comply with Building Regulations, which can affect future sales and insurance.
Electrical installation certificate (BS 7671): Required for all new electrical work.
Gas safety certificate: If any gas work has been carried out.
FENSA or equivalent glazing certificate: For replacement windows and doors.
Warranty registrations: Structural warranties (NHBC, Premier Guarantee, or similar), waterproofing guarantees for basements, and manufacturer warranties for boilers, appliances, and materials.

The Snagging List

Document every defect with its location, a description, and ideally a photograph. Your architect will compile these into a formal schedule of defects, issued to the contractor with a reasonable timescale for rectification — typically 14 to 28 days depending on the nature and number of items.

Categorise defects by severity:

Critical: Items preventing safe or functional use (e.g., no hot water, non-functioning locks)
Major: Significant defects that need prompt attention (e.g., leaking shower tray, poorly fitted kitchen doors)
Minor: Cosmetic issues that don't affect function (e.g., paint touch-ups, minor plaster cracks)

Critical items should be resolved before you accept practical completion. Major and minor items can be addressed during the defects liability period.

The Defects Liability Period

The defects liability period (also called the rectification period) is typically 6 or 12 months from practical completion, as specified in your building contract. During this time, the contractor is obligated to return and rectify any defects that become apparent through normal use.

This period exists because some defects only emerge with time — hairline cracks as the building settles, condensation issues that appear in winter, or movement in timber as it acclimatises. Keep a running list of any issues that arise and report them to your architect promptly.

At the end of the defects liability period, your architect inspects the property again, issues a schedule of any remaining defects, and gives the contractor a final opportunity to rectify them. Once all defects are resolved (or an appropriate financial deduction is agreed), your architect issues the final certificate.

Retention and Final Payment

Under most standard building contracts (JCT Minor Works, JCT Intermediate, etc.), retention is withheld from interim payments to the contractor — typically 5% of the contract sum. Half the retention is released at practical completion; the other half is released when the final certificate is issued after the defects liability period.

Retention serves as your financial security that the contractor will return to fix defects. Never release the full retention at practical completion, regardless of pressure from the contractor. This is your contractual right and your protection.

When to Withhold Payment

You have the right to withhold payment — or a portion of payment — if work is defective, incomplete, or doesn't comply with the contract. However, you must follow the correct contractual procedure:

Issue a written pay less notice within the timeframe specified in your contract (typically 5 days before the final date for payment)
State the amount you intend to withhold and the grounds for doing so

Failure to follow the correct procedure can put you in breach of contract, even if the withholding is justified. Your architect should advise you on the process.

O&M Manuals and As-Built Information

The contractor should provide Operation and Maintenance (O&M) manuals for all installed systems and equipment. These should include:

Manufacturer instructions for boilers, ventilation systems, and appliances
Maintenance schedules for all mechanical and electrical systems
Details of all materials and finishes used, including paint colours and product references
As-built drawings (if the contract requires them), showing the work as actually constructed
Contact details for specialist subcontractors and suppliers

Store these documents carefully. They're invaluable for future maintenance, insurance claims, and eventual resale.

Building Control Completion Certificate

This bears repeating: do not accept final completion without a Building Control completion certificate. This document confirms that the works have been inspected and comply with the Building Regulations. If you're using an Approved Inspector rather than Camden's in-house Building Control, ensure they issue the final certificate promptly.

Without this certificate, you may face difficulties selling the property, obtaining insurance, or demonstrating compliance if a dispute arises. If your contractor or Building Control body is slow to issue it, ask your architect to chase it on your behalf.

Final Certification Timeline

The typical timeline from practical completion to final certification looks like this:

Practical completion — architect issues certificate, half retention released
Defects liability period — 6 or 12 months of normal use
Defects inspection — architect issues schedule of remaining defects
Rectification — contractor addresses remaining defects (typically 14–28 days)
Final certificate — architect issues, remaining retention released

When we connect homeowners with architects, we emphasise the importance of this end-of-project process. The quality of contract administration during handover and the defects period can make the difference between a satisfying conclusion and a frustrating one. An architect who is as diligent at Stage 7 as they were at Stage 2 is worth their weight in gold.