On public projects, provisional acceptance is the client's confirmation that the work has been completed in line with the contract. Final acceptance comes after the maintenance and observation period and opens the way to releasing guarantees. The time between the two is the period contractors most often overlook.
Preparing for provisional acceptance
- Completion report and application: Before applying, check that works, test reports and as-built drawings are ready.
- Pre-inspection: A walk-round with your own team before the committee arrives shortens the defect list.
- Document archive: With material approvals, quality records and minutes in one place, the committee's questions are answered on the spot.
Managing the defect list
- Turn every defect into a task: Each item the committee finds is assigned to the relevant subcontractor with an owner and due date.
- Close with evidence: Fixed defects are closed with photos and a record, and open items raise alerts as their due date approaches.
- Link it to the subcontractor payment: A subcontractor who has not closed their defects has their final payment and guarantee release put on hold.
Maintenance period and final acceptance
Faults that appear during the maintenance and observation period after provisional acceptance are recorded the same way. When the period ends, final acceptance is applied for; with it, guarantees are released and retentions held from subcontractors are paid out.
Common mistakes
- Keeping the defect list in a spreadsheet with no clear owners
- Releasing subcontractor guarantees before the client's final acceptance
- Not tracking when the maintenance period ends
Nitrogen progress payment management tracks acceptance step by step from application to final acceptance; defects are assigned to subcontractors as tasks, and guarantee release is tied to acceptance.
