Guides · G-18
What should you check and receive at the end of your renovation?
Short answer
Inspect against the agreed specification, record outstanding items and obtain the documents appropriate to the work. Handover should explain how to use and maintain the home, not simply mark the day the last trade leaves.
Prepare the handover while the work is still under way. Keep the approved drawings, specification and changes together, then agree which documents and demonstrations will be available at the final visit. A decorated room can look complete while commissioning, paperwork or a small unfinished item still needs attention.
Inspect against the agreed scope
Walk through room by room with the specification. Check that selected products and finishes match what was approved, doors and drawers operate, accessible surfaces are finished and the agreed making good is complete. Record any discrepancy clearly with its location.
Where a technical inspection or test is required, the competent professional or installer performs it. An owner’s visual walk-through does not replace electrical testing, a structural inspection or commissioning of a thermal installation. [4] [5]
Record outstanding items
Use one list that everyone can refer to. For each item, record the room, description, photograph if useful, responsible party and agreed next action. Separate incomplete work from a new request that changes the scope.
For building works covered by the LOE, the completed project with approved changes, reception record, identification of participants and use and maintenance instructions form the building book delivered to users. The documents required for a smaller renovation depend on its scope and installation work.[1] Where the LOE’s formal reception procedure applies, the responsible team should explain the required record and any reservations. For other domestic work, the contract still needs a clear way to document completion and outstanding matters. Do not treat an informal photograph of the finished room as a substitute for that record.
Ask for a practical demonstration
Have the installer demonstrate the equipment and controls included in the work. Identify water isolators, relevant electrical controls, ventilation equipment, heating or cooling controls and service access points. Ask where the instructions are stored and which maintenance tasks require a specialist.
For connected equipment, clarify who controls the account and how access is transferred. Retain product identification and supplier information so a future repair does not depend on recognising an appliance from a photograph.
Assemble the documents that apply to your job
| Document group | Examples to request where applicable |
|---|---|
| Agreed scope | Contract, specification, approved changes and final account |
| Permissions | Municipal submission or licence, relevant authorisations and community records |
| Design and technical direction | Final project information, approved revisions and completion documents |
| Installations | Relevant certificates, test or commissioning records and installer details |
| Products | Instructions, maintenance requirements and applicable supplier guarantees |
| Waste | Records appropriate to the materials and work, including specialist records where needed |
| Outstanding work | A shared item list with responsibilities and agreed next steps |
This is an organisational checklist. Not every small refurbishment generates every document, and the exact statutory requirements follow the work. Under UR.LC.140, layout changes, specified secondary structural repairs and works affecting general installations require additional technical documents. These include the relevant technical report and drawings, basic safety study, waste study and technical direction appointment listed by the procedure.[3] For works within RD 105/2008’s project requirements, the project includes a waste management study and the contractor prepares the corresponding management plan; waste transfers need documentary evidence. Minor domestic repair works have a specific exception from those national producer and holder duties and follow local requirements.[6]
Close the municipal process where required
The start and completion of declared works must each be notified to the Ajuntament within 15 days of the event, with the documents required by article 28.[2] Confirm which notices and completion documents apply to the chosen route, who submits them and how you will receive the filing evidence. A contractor finishing on site and the administrative process being complete are different events.
Keep copies with the property’s records, particularly if you may sell, let or commission further alterations later. The permit guide explains the route; the handover pack should show what was actually filed for your home.
Plan the first period of use
Follow the maintenance and curing instructions for the installed products and finishes. Know the route for reporting a defect and keep photographs and dates if something changes. Report a safety concern promptly through the appropriate channel rather than waiting for a routine review.
We coordinate the handover of the agreed works and explain the records supplied. For an owner living elsewhere, the walkthrough can be supported by a video call and photographs, while any required technical inspections remain with the appointed professionals. The aim is a home you understand and a document trail you can use.