Glossary

PV de réception (reception PV), definition and guide for maîtres d'œuvre

The PV de réception (procès-verbal de réception des travaux, or reception PV) is the document that records the client's acceptance of the works, with or without reserves. It is signed at the close of the pre-reception inspections (OPR) and is the single legal act that triggers the statutory warranties. Its signature date starts the one-year parfait achèvement warranty, the two-year bon fonctionnement warranty, and the ten-year décennale (decennial) liability.

What it means in practice

The reception PV is drawn up when the client takes possession of the works. The maîtrise d'œuvre runs the OPR, records the remaining reserves trade by trade, and the PV lists each reserve with its location, the relevant lot, and the deadline for resolution. A PV with no reserves binds every party's liability from the moment it is signed.

The date on the PV is the start point for every warranty period. A reception pronounced on 15 March fixes the end of parfait achèvement at 15 March the following year and the end of décennale ten years later. The maître d'œuvre who signs the PV carries decennial liability for 10 years: every reserve and every levée must be traced and kept as evidence.

Reception can be pronounced with reserves: the works are accepted, but the defects found are listed and given a resolution deadline. The levée des réserves (clearing of reserves) is then formalised in a separate document that closes each point. Until a reserve is cleared, it remains enforceable against the contractor responsible for that lot.

Legal framework

Reception is defined by article 1792-6 of the French Code civil as the act by which the client accepts the works, with or without reserves. It is pronounced contradictorily between the parties and recorded in the procès-verbal de réception.

Article 1792 of the Code civil, introduced by the loi Spinetta of 4 January 1978, establishes décennale liability: the builder is liable as of right for damage that compromises the structural soundness of the works or makes them unfit for their purpose, for 10 years from reception. The parfait achèvement warranty (article 1792-6) runs for 1 year; the bon fonctionnement warranty (article 1792-3) runs for 2 years.

It is the date of the reception PV, and that date alone, that starts these three periods. An incomplete PV, an imprecise date, or reserves that are not properly recorded weakens the maître d'œuvre's position in any dispute.

How Builddar handles the reception PV

In Builddar, the reception PV is not a document written the night before handover. It is the structured output of every observation logged throughout the project. The OPR, the reserves by lot, the locations, and the photos flow automatically into the procès-verbal: the PV writes itself from the data you already captured. Builddar is the construction quality operating system.

Every reserve is traced from creation to levée, with photo, lot, responsible subcontractor, and deadline. The signed PV, its date, and the full evidence chain are kept for the 10 years of decennial liability. Data is hosted in the European Union. Capture happens on the mobile app, in FR, EN, and ES.

Frequently asked questions

The PV de réception (procès-verbal de réception des travaux) is the document that records the client's acceptance of the works, with or without reserves. It is signed at the close of the pre-reception inspections (OPR) and lists every remaining reserve. Its signature date triggers the parfait achèvement warranty (1 year), the bon fonctionnement warranty (2 years), and décennale liability (10 years), which makes it the central legal act of project handover.
Reception without reserves means the client accepts the works with no defect recorded: the warranties run in full and immediately. Reception with reserves accepts the works while listing the defects to be corrected, each with a resolution deadline. The levée des réserves is then formalised in a separate document that closes each point; until a reserve is cleared, it remains enforceable against the contractor responsible for that lot.
The date of the reception PV starts three statutory warranty periods. The parfait achèvement warranty (article 1792-6 of the Code civil) runs for 1 year, the bon fonctionnement warranty (article 1792-3) runs for 2 years, and décennale liability (article 1792, loi Spinetta) runs for 10 years from reception. This is the only date that sets the start point for these periods.
The reception PV is established contradictorily between the client and the contractors, most often led by the maîtrise d'œuvre during the OPR. The client pronounces reception and signs the procès-verbal; the maître d'œuvre records the reserves and carries decennial liability for 10 years. Each reserve must be traced and kept as evidence.
The reception PV is built from the data already logged during the project: OPR, reserves by lot, locations, and photos flow automatically into the procès-verbal. The PV is therefore written from existing observations, with no re-entry. The signed document, its date, and all evidence are kept for the 10 years of decennial liability, on data hosted in the European Union.

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