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3.4 Project Closeout Procedures

CHOP | Chapter 2.3.12 | pp 1

Take-over procedures are a normal part of the architect’s basic services performed at the end of contract administration. After take-over, the architect is responsible for reviewing defects and deficiencies during the warranty period and for notifying the contractor of items to be corrected. Most client-architect agreements terminate after the one-year warranty period.         

Therefore, work extending beyond this period is an additional service. Commissioning is a systematic process of ensuring that new building systems perform interactively according to the documented design intent and the owner’s operational needs, and that specified system documentation and training are provided to the facility staff.

Final Certificate for Payment see CHOP Chapter 2.3.12, page 2-3

Once the architect is satisfied that all deficiencies have been corrected and that all work under the contract has been completed, the contractor can apply for payment for the outstanding amount. The final completion or correction of deficiencies can be frustrating for the architect for the following reasons:

  • progress towards final completion of outstanding deficiencies seems to be very slow;
  • the architect’s authority to certify and thus influence the contractor to work expeditiously decreases once the major part of the holdback has been released;
  • many contractors tend to lose interest in the project when there is no longer a significant financial incentive for its completion, payments particularly when the outstanding work is the responsibility of sub-contractors.

The architect then prepares and issues the final Certificate for Payment. The date on this certificate will usually be the date of deemed completion of the contract, but, in some circumstances, the deemed date of completion may be an earlier date. In either case, the certificate should specifically confirm the deemed date of completion as stated in the statement of completion.           


The definition of completed, in some provincial lien acts, permits a small dollar value to remain outstanding. This outstanding amount is the
cost of:

  • actual total completion;
  • correction of known defects;
  • last supply of services or materials.

The architect also prepares a certificate for the release of the remaining holdback monies on this final amount, based on the number of days defined in the lien legislation after the date on which the contract is deemed to be complete.

If the contractor is efficient in correcting all the deficiencies, the date of this certificate may precede the date for release of final holdback.

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