Managing construction reserves after handover
Updated 4 June 2026
Construction reserves (réserves) are the defects recorded against the contractor at handover. After the PV de réception is signed, those reserves enter the one-year garantie de parfait achèvement (defect-liability period). During this year the contractor must fix every listed defect at no cost. Each fix is verified on site and closed with a procès-verbal de levée des réserves. Reserves not lifted before the deadline can be enforced through formal notice and, if needed, retained payment or a third-party repair charged to the contractor. This guide explains how reserves are tracked, what the legal deadlines are, and how to escalate when a contractor stops responding.
What is the garantie de parfait achèvement and how long does it last?
The garantie de parfait achèvement (perfect-completion warranty) is the one-year period that starts the day the PV de réception is signed. During this year the contractor must repair, at its own expense, every reserve listed in the handover PV and every disorder reported in writing afterward. It is the first of the three statutory warranties, ahead of the two-year garantie de bon fonctionnement and the ten-year responsabilité décennale.
The deadline is fixed: one calendar year from the date of réception. A reserve recorded at handover and not lifted within that year does not disappear. The maîtrise d'œuvre keeps the right to enforce it, but the simple no-cost repair obligation of the first year is the strongest leverage. Tracking each reserve against the réception date is what keeps that leverage intact.
Cosmetic and functional defects fall under this one-year warranty. Structural defects that make the work unfit for its purpose fall under the ten-year décennale, which runs in parallel from the same réception date.
How are reserves tracked and lifted after handover?
A reserve is lifted (levée des réserves) when the defect is repaired, verified on site, and recorded in writing. The cycle is consistent: each reserve carries a precise location, a description, a photo, the responsible lot or sous-traitant, and a due date. When the contractor reports the fix, the maîtrise d'œuvre re-inspects, then either closes the reserve or returns it with a reason.
The order of operations matters. Reserves are sorted by lot and by responsible party so each contractor sees only the items it owns. A reserve stays open until re-inspection confirms the repair, a verbal claim that work is done is not a levée. The proof of each closure is the procès-verbal de levée des réserves, dated and signed.
This cycle is managed from the mobile capture app to the closure PV. Each reserve holds its location, photo, responsible party, and status. Subcontractors update items for free; the architect re-inspects and signs off the levée. The full history, who reported, who fixed, who verified, with timestamps, stays attached to the project.
What happens when a contractor does not lift the reserves?
When a contractor does not respond, escalation is procedural, not emotional. The first step is a written reminder citing the specific reserves and their due dates. If that goes unanswered, the maîtrise d'œuvre sends a mise en demeure (formal notice) by registered letter, setting a firm deadline to complete the repairs.
If the formal notice is ignored, the maître d'ouvrage can retain the corresponding sum from the contractor's outstanding balance or the retenue de garantie, and have the work done by a third party at the defaulting contractor's expense. Every step depends on dated evidence: when the reserve was recorded, when reminders were sent, and what was not done.
An automatic reminder system removes the gap that contractors exploit. Timed reminders go to the responsible party as each due date approaches and every notification is logged, so the escalation trail is built before it is needed rather than reconstructed afterward.
What proof should the architect keep during the defect-liability year?
The architect should keep a complete, dated record of every reserve from the réception date to its closure. That record is the basis for enforcing the garantie de parfait achèvement and, later, for defending any dispute over what was or was not repaired. Memory and loose photos do not hold up; a timestamped log does.
Each reserve needs its origin (the handover PV or a later written report), its location and photo, the responsible lot, the reminders sent, and the procès-verbal de levée that closed it. Open reserves at the end of the year need a documented reason and the escalation steps already taken.
This record is kept in one place, hosted in the EU. The document management module stores the PV de réception, the closure PVs, and the supporting photos against the project. Setting up a firm template takes about 20 minutes, and the same structure applies to every project the firm runs.