Handover & Completion · Mandatory · Completion

Practical Completion Checklist

A checklist verifying that all requirements for practical completion have been met.

Last reviewed: 29 March 2026 — This guide reflects UK law as of this date. Contract remains current with no amendments enacted as of 29 March 2026. Next scheduled review: 29 March 2027.

Legal basis	Contract requirements — standard form and bespoke construction contracts
Status	Mandatory — systematic verification required before practical completion can be certified
Prepared by	Site Manager / Quantity Surveyor in coordination with the project team
Project phase	Completion — pre-handover verification and preparation
CDM link	CDM 2015 conditions must be met before practical completion — including preparation of the health and safety file and confirmation that the building is safe for occupation

1. The PC Checklist — No Surprises at Handover

The practical completion checklist is the project team's systematic tool for verifying that the works are genuinely ready for the Contract Administrator to certify practical completion. It is not a last-minute exercise — it is a structured, multi-week programme of verification that covers every aspect of the works, from physical construction to statutory certificates to handover documentation. A well-managed PC checklist ensures there are no surprises at the point of handover.

The checklist must address all statutory and regulatory deliverables that are required before the building can be occupied and before the Contract Administrator can certify practical completion. These include building control completion certificates, fire safety certificates, electrical installation certificates (BS 7671), gas safety certificates, water hygiene commissioning records, lift commissioning certificates, and the CDM health and safety file. Missing any one of these can delay practical completion and create regulatory exposure for the client.

The checklist should be a living document, reviewed and updated weekly in the run-up to practical completion. Each item should have a named person responsible for its completion, a target date, and a status indicator. The site manager should chair a weekly PC readiness meeting from eight weeks before the target completion date, reviewing progress against the checklist and escalating any items that are at risk of delay.

Start early

Start the PC checklist 8 weeks before the target PC date — not the week before. Many of the items on the checklist have lead times: statutory certificates require third-party inspections, commissioning records must be compiled and reviewed, training must be scheduled with the client's facilities team, and handover documentation must be collated. Leaving these items until the final week creates an impossible bottleneck and almost always results in a delayed practical completion.

2. Checklist Categories

The practical completion checklist should be organised into the following categories. Each category covers a distinct area of verification that must be completed before practical completion can be certified.

Category	What to verify
Physical works	All construction works complete to specification, all snagging items identified and resolved, all external works and landscaping complete, all cleaning and site clearance finished. A formal pre-PC inspection should be carried out by the site manager and the contractor's quality manager before the Contract Administrator is invited to inspect.
Statutory certificates	Building control completion certificate (or final inspection approval), electrical installation certificate to BS 7671, gas safety certificate (if applicable), fire alarm commissioning certificate, emergency lighting commissioning certificate, lift commissioning and thorough examination certificate, water hygiene risk assessment and commissioning records.
Commissioning records	Full commissioning records for all mechanical and electrical installations, including HVAC systems, BMS, fire detection and alarm, emergency lighting, domestic water services, and any specialist systems. Commissioning records must demonstrate that systems have been tested and are performing to specification.
CDM conditions	Health and safety file prepared and ready for handover to the client. The file must contain as-built drawings, design risk information, maintenance requirements, and any information needed to manage health and safety during future maintenance, repair, or refurbishment of the building.
Handover documentation	Operation and maintenance manuals (O&M manuals) for all building systems and equipment, as-built drawings, product data sheets, warranties and guarantees, test certificates, and any spare parts or specialist tools required under the contract.
Keys and access	Full set of keys, access cards, security codes, and BMS login credentials prepared and labelled for handover. A key schedule should be prepared listing every key, the lock it operates, and the number of copies provided. Master keys and restricted keys must be clearly identified.
Client training	Training sessions scheduled and delivered to the client's facilities management team covering all building systems: HVAC, BMS, fire alarm, security, lifts, and any specialist equipment. Training records should be signed by attendees and included in the handover documentation.
Outstanding items	A clear and honest schedule of any items that will not be complete by the target PC date. Each item must be assessed to determine whether it is genuinely de minimis (and therefore compatible with practical completion) or whether it is substantial (and therefore a barrier to certification). Items that are not de minimis must be completed before practical completion can be certified.

3. Common Mistakes

Starting the checklist too late

The most common and most damaging mistake is leaving the PC checklist until the final week or two before the target completion date. By that point, there is no time to obtain statutory certificates, schedule client training, compile O&M manuals, or resolve substantial snagging items. The checklist must be started at least eight weeks before the target PC date to allow sufficient time for all items to be completed.

Not assigning responsibility for each item

A checklist without named owners is a wish list. Every item on the PC checklist must have a named person responsible for its completion, together with a target date and a current status. The site manager should review ownership and status at the weekly PC readiness meeting and escalate any items that are at risk.

Treating all post-PC items equally

Not all outstanding items are equal. There is a critical distinction between de minimis items (genuinely trivial matters that do not prevent occupation) and substantial items (work that is incomplete or defective to a degree that affects the employer's use of the building). Only de minimis items can remain outstanding at practical completion. The checklist must clearly distinguish between the two categories, and substantial items must be resolved before practical completion is certified.

Not involving subcontractors in the process

Many of the items on the PC checklist are the responsibility of specialist subcontractors — commissioning records, statutory certificates, O&M manuals, training, and warranty documentation. The main contractor must involve subcontractors in the PC checklist process from the outset, setting clear deadlines for their deliverables and following up rigorously. Subcontractor documentation is one of the most common causes of delayed practical completion.

Not updating the checklist as items are completed

The PC checklist is a living document. It must be updated at least weekly to reflect the current status of every item. A checklist that is not updated loses its value as a management tool — the project team cannot see what has been done, what is outstanding, and what is at risk. The site manager should maintain the checklist as the single source of truth for PC readiness.

4. Frequently Asked Questions

What documents must be in place before practical completion?▾

As a minimum, the following documents must be in place before practical completion can be certified: building control completion certificate (or final inspection approval), electrical installation certificate to BS 7671, gas safety certificate (if applicable), fire alarm and emergency lighting commissioning certificates, lift commissioning certificate and report of thorough examination, water hygiene commissioning records, the CDM health and safety file, and the operation and maintenance manuals. The precise list depends on the nature of the project and the contract requirements, but these are the core statutory and contractual deliverables.

What is the difference between a snag and outstanding work?▾

A snag is a minor defect or blemish in otherwise completed work — for example, a paint touch-up, a damaged tile, or a poorly finished joint. Snagging items are typically de minimis and do not prevent practical completion from being certified. Outstanding work, by contrast, is work that has not been completed at all or is so defective that it requires substantial remediation. Outstanding work of any substance is a barrier to practical completion. The distinction is critical: a schedule of snagging items is normal at practical completion, but a schedule of substantial outstanding work means the works are not ready for certification.

Can the PC checklist be managed digitally?▾

Yes, and it is increasingly common to manage the PC checklist using digital platforms. Digital checklists offer several advantages: they can be updated in real time from site, they provide an audit trail of when items were completed, they can generate reports and dashboards for the PC readiness meeting, and they can be shared with the entire project team and with subcontractors. The key requirement is that the digital platform captures named responsibility, target dates, status, and evidence of completion for each item.

What happens if items on the checklist are not resolved by the PC date?▾

If items on the checklist are not resolved by the target PC date, the project team must assess whether each outstanding item is genuinely de minimis or whether it is substantial. De minimis items can be recorded on the schedule attached to the Practical Completion Certificate and completed during the defects liability period. Substantial items must be completed before practical completion can be certified — the PC date will need to be delayed until those items are resolved. The Contract Administrator cannot certify practical completion while substantial work remains incomplete.

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