Construction management Q&A
Which documents do I need to prepare for handover?
Short answer
- Notify the client in writing that the works are complete.
- The technical inspector confirms to the client whether the conditions for acceptance are met.
- The client appoints the acceptance-at-completion commission within 3 days of that confirmation.
- Hand over the construction technical logbook, compiled during execution, together with the specialist reports from the designer and the technical inspector.
- Once the warranty period expires, the owner organises final acceptance, setting the date within 10 days of expiry.
What the law says (brief)
- The construction acceptance regulation (Government Decision 273/1994, as amended by Government Decision 343/2017) — acceptance happens in two stages: acceptance at completion of works, and final acceptance after the warranty period expires.
- Law 10/1995 on construction quality — the warranty period is at least 5 years for buildings in importance categories A and B, 3 years for category C and 1 year for category D.
- Law 50/1991 on authorising construction works — completion must be notified to the authority that issued the permit and to the State Construction Inspectorate, and the fees regularised.
- State Construction Inspectorate Order 1370/2014 — the protocols from key inspection milestones, notified to the territorial inspectorate at least 3 working days in advance, form part of the documentation presented to the commission.
Practical examples
- Example: for an office building in importance category C, acceptance at completion happens in June, the warranty period is 3 years, and final acceptance is scheduled three years later, with the date set within 10 days of the warranty expiring.
- Example: the file presented to the commission contains the building permit, the site handover protocol, the key-milestone inspection protocols, the designer's and technical inspector's specialist reports, declarations of performance for the products used, and the as-built documentation. One missing protocol postpones acceptance by weeks.
Common mistakes
- Starting to gather the documents at the end of the job, even though they are produced throughout execution.
- Not compiling the technical logbook as you go; reconstructing it retroactively is the most common reason acceptance slips.
- Missing the key-milestone inspection protocols, which cannot be recreated once the work has been covered up.
- Treating acceptance at completion as the finish line and never scheduling final acceptance after the warranty.
How 4construct helps
- Documents are attached to the stage that produced them, during execution, not to a folder assembled at the end.
- The daily journal keeps photos and stage sign-offs with their dates, so the evidence of execution exists at handover.
- Every project carries a full history of confirmed stages and work statements, useful to the acceptance commission.
- The warranty expiry date stays tracked on the project, so final acceptance isn't forgotten.