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

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 snag list is not written the night before handover. Every snag logged during the project and the OPR keeps its trade, location, photo and contractor. The snag report exports to PDF, Excel or CSV, one file per contractor if needed, and you attach it to your reception PV. Builddar is construction site reporting and defect tracking software.

Every reserve is traced from creation to levée, with photo, lot, responsible subcontractor, and deadline. Data is hosted in the European Union.