Closing out snag lists: how it works
Updated 4 June 2026
Closing out a snag list (in France, the levée des réserves) is the process of verifying that each defect logged at handover has been corrected, documenting the proof, and signing off the item so it no longer holds open the contractor's liability or final payment. The architect re-inspects every snag, compares the result against the original observation, records dated photo evidence, and updates the status. When all snags are closed, the parties sign a closeout record (PV de levée des réserves). Until then, the reception remains conditional and retention money stays held.
What does closing out a snag list actually mean?
Closing out a snag list is the verification step that follows handover. At reception, the architect signs a PV de réception that lists every reserve (snag) the contractor must still fix. Each of those reserves stays open until it is inspected, proven corrected, and signed off. Closing out is that sign-off.
A snag is not closed because the contractor says it is fixed. It is closed when the architect re-inspects the exact location, confirms the work matches the requirement, and records dated evidence. The original observation, the corrective work, and the proof must line up for the closeout to hold for 10 years of decennial liability.
Closing out happens snag by snag. A list of 80 reserves can be partially closed: 60 lifted, 20 still open. The reception is only fully released when the last reserve is signed off in the PV de levée des réserves.
How long do you have to close out a snag list?
French practice gives the contractor a fixed window written into the reception PV to correct reserves, commonly 30, 60, or 90 days depending on the contract and the nature of the work. The délai de levée des réserves is set by the maîtrise d'œuvre at reception and is binding.
If the deadline passes and the snag is not corrected, the architect does not simply wait. The contractor is formally reminded, then put on notice (mise en demeure). If the work is still not done, the developer can have it completed by another firm and deduct the cost from the retention (retenue de garantie), which is typically 5 percent of the contract value held for one year.
A snag that is never closed keeps the reserve open. An open reserve at the one-year mark blocks the release of retention and keeps that defect inside the contractor's contractual obligation rather than transferred to warranty.
What proof do you need to close out each snag?
Each closed snag needs three things on record: the original observation with its location and photo, the corrective action taken, and a verification photo dated after the fix. Without the dated after-photo, the closeout is an opinion, not evidence.
The proof matters because the architect carries 10 years of decennial liability on the building. If a closed snag resurfaces as a structural or watertightness defect, the dated evidence chain shows what was inspected, when, and by whom. A list closed by ticking boxes leaves nothing to defend with.
This chain is kept automatically. Every reserve logged on-site carries its location, trade, photo, and deadline. When the architect lifts it, the verification photo and timestamp attach to the same record, so the closeout is audit-trailed end to end.
What is the PV de levée des réserves?
The PV de levée des réserves is the document that records the closeout. It states which reserves were lifted, on what date, and with what verification, and it is signed by the maîtrise d'œuvre and, where required, the contractor and the developer.
It is the counterpart to the PV de réception. The PV de réception opens the reserves; the PV de levée closes them. Once every reserve is lifted and the PV de levée is signed, the reception is unconditional and the retention can be released.
In Builddar, the PV de levée des réserves is generated from the live snag data, not retyped. Every lifted reserve, its date, and its verification photo flow straight into the document, so the proof you captured on-site is the proof in the signed PV.
How to close out a snag list, step by step
- 01
Start from the reception snag list
Open the reserves recorded in the PV de réception. Each reserve carries its location, trade, description, photo, and the correction deadline set at reception. This list is the single source of what must be closed.
- 02
Confirm the corrective work is reported done
Wait for the contractor or subcontractor to report each reserve as corrected. Track who is responsible for each lot so reminders go to the right firm. In Builddar, automatic reminders chase the responsible subcontractor as the deadline approaches.
- 03
Re-inspect each snag on-site
Walk the site and check each reported reserve at its exact location. Compare the corrected work against the original observation. Do not close a snag from the office or from a contractor's message alone.
- 04
Record dated verification evidence
Photograph each corrected reserve on-site. The verification photo must be dated after the original observation and attached to the same reserve record. This is the proof that survives for 10 years of decennial liability.
- 05
Update the status snag by snag
Mark each verified reserve as lifted (levée). Leave unresolved reserves open with a clear reason. A partially closed list shows exactly what remains, so nothing is signed off prematurely.
- 06
Escalate any reserve that misses its deadline
For reserves not corrected in time, send a formal reminder, then a mise en demeure. If the work is still not done, the developer can have it completed by another firm and deduct the cost from the 5 percent retention.
- 07
Generate and sign the PV de levée des réserves
Once every reserve is lifted, generate the PV de levée des réserves from the verified data. Sign it with the contractor and developer. The reception becomes unconditional and the retention can be released.