Handover is the most important act of the project: it starts all the guarantees — and freezes what you have accepted. Ten minutes of vigilance that day are worth years of recourse. Practical summary based on French law.
The day itself: the handover report
- Inspect EVERYTHING, in daylight, raking light on walls and floors, with the quote in hand.
- Every defect noted in the handover report = a ‘reserve' the contractor must clear (write in the deadline, 60-90 days is usual).
- A visible defect not reserved is deemed accepted — hidden defects remain covered.
- 5 % retention: if the contract provides for it, it is released 12 months after handover, or when reserves are cleared.
- Refusing handover is only for an uninhabitable result — otherwise: accept WITH listed reserves.
The guarantee timeline (diagram)
Who covers what
- Perfect completion (1 year): the contractor fixes any defect reported in the report or by registered letter within the year.
- Two-year guarantee: separable equipment (taps, shutters, radiators…).
- Ten-year guarantee: solidity and habitability — demand each contractor's insurance certificate BEFORE the works, not after.
- Your project insurance (for heavy works) pre-finances ten-year repairs without waiting for the courts.
The case of floors
At the handover of a wood floor: raking-light check, perimeter gaps hidden by the skirtings, no adhesive residue, flatness. And for your own material deliveries the reflex is the same — our checklist for receiving a flooring pallet.