Construction handover is the act by which the client accepts the works, with or without snags. It is signed at the end of the pre-handover inspection, sets the completion date and triggers the warranties. Snags are listed, then cleared within a set deadline, and closed off with a snag sign-off.
What is construction completion?
Completion (in French, réception des travaux) is the step that closes the project: the client takes possession of the works and declares them compliant with the contract. It is a major legal moment, because it transfers custody of the works and starts the statutory warranties running. The completion minutes (the PV de réception) put this acceptance in writing, signed by the parties.
Accepting the works does not mean everything is perfect: the client can accept the works while flagging defects. Those defects become snags (in French, réserves), which the contractor must fix within an agreed deadline.
The pre-handover inspection (OPR)
Before signing, the parties hold a joint walk-through: the OPR (opérations préalables à la réception). Client, project manager and contractors go through the works room by room, trade by trade, to check compliance and record any defects, missing finishes or departures from the contract.
What you check during the inspection
- Compliance with the drawings, the specification and applicable standards.
- That equipment works (heating, electrics, plumbing, ventilation).
- Finishes: paintwork, joints, coverings, ironmongery.
- That the documents are present (as-built file, manuals, certificates, manufacturer warranties).
Each defect is recorded and precisely located — this is the basis of the snagging list attached to the completion minutes.
Handover with or without snags
Handover without snags
The works are judged compliant and finished: the client accepts them as they are. The defects-liability warranty still covers any faults that appear during the following year, but no defect is listed on the completion date.
Handover with snags
The works are accepted, but defects are recorded and listed. Completion still takes effect (the warranties start running), but the contractor remains bound to fix every snag. The client can hold back part of the payment (retention) until the fixes are done and checked.
The client can also refuse completion if the works are unusable or too unfinished: in that case no minutes are signed and the project continues.
The deadline to clear the snags
The minutes set a deadline to clear the snags — often 60 to 90 days depending on the contract. The contractor carries out the fixes, then the project manager (or the client) checks each item. A snag is only cleared after an actual re-inspection, not on the contractor's word alone.
If the deadline passes with the fixes still undone, the client can serve formal notice on the contractor and, failing that, have the works carried out by a third party at the defaulting contractor's cost.
The snag sign-off
Once the fixes are checked, the parties sign a snag sign-off (PV de levée des réserves). This document records, snag by snag, that the defects are corrected. It releases the retention and closes the defects-liability warranty on those points. Without it, the snags stay open and the file is not settled.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Vague snags. "Repaint" with no location or room: impossible to verify later.
- No clearance deadline in the minutes: fixes drag on with no due date.
- Clearing a snag without re-inspecting. Ticking "cleared" without checking the fix on site.
- Forgetting the sign-off. Snags stay open and the retention is never released cleanly.
- Handing over without the inspection. You find the defects after signing, when it is too late to list them as snags.
A snag only truly exists if it is located, dated, assigned to a contractor and tracked to a verified clearance.
Frequently asked questions
What are construction completion minutes (PV de réception)?
The document by which the client formally accepts the works, with or without snags. Signed at the end of the pre-handover inspection, they set the completion date — the starting point for the warranties.
How long is the deadline to clear the snags?
The minutes set a deadline to clear each snag, often 60 to 90 days. If the fixes are not done in time, the client can serve formal notice on the contractor, or have the works done at the contractor's cost.
What happens once the snags are cleared?
After the fixes are checked, a snag sign-off (PV de levée des réserves) is signed. It records that the defects are corrected and closes the defects-liability warranty on those points.