OPR construction inspection: the complete guide
Updated 4 June 2026
The OPR (opérations préalables à la réception) is the formal pre-reception inspection of a building, carried out before the works are officially accepted. The architect managing execution and the developer walk the site together, check every lot against the contract and the plans, and record each defect, non-conformity, and observation as a reserve. The OPR produces a signed report listing those reserves and sets the deadline to clear them. It is the last quality gate before the PV de réception is signed and the 10-year decennial liability period begins. A clean OPR protects the architect's sign-off.
What is an OPR in construction?
The OPR is the structured walkthrough where the architect managing execution and the developer inspect a completed building lot by lot before reception. Each item is checked against the contract documents, the plans, and the applicable standards. Anything that is incomplete, defective, or non-conforming is logged as a reserve with its exact location, the responsible trade, a photo, and a deadline.
The OPR is not the reception itself. It is the inspection that prepares the reception. Its output, the signed OPR report, becomes the reserve list that the developer carries into the PV de réception. A well-run OPR means the PV is a confirmation of work already verified, not a last-minute discovery of problems.
Builddar is the construction quality operating system for architects managing OPR, execution, and reception. It runs the OPR as a structured workflow so every reserve logged on-site flows directly into the reception report.
When does the OPR happen and who runs it?
The OPR takes place once the contractor declares the works complete and before the developer formally accepts the building. On a typical operation it is scheduled in the final weeks before handover, after the contractor's own pre-delivery checks and before the reception date is set.
The architect managing execution leads the OPR on behalf of the developer. The OPC, the conducteur de travaux, and the relevant subcontractors attend for their lots. The developer is present or represented, because the developer is the party who ultimately accepts the works and signs the PV de réception.
Each trade is responsible for clearing the reserves raised against its lot. The architect verifies each correction before the reserve is marked as cleared. The inspection covers every accessible zone: facades, common areas, technical rooms, and each unit.
What does the OPR produce?
The OPR produces a signed report listing every reserve, organized by lot and by location, with a deadline for each. This report is the official record of the building's condition at inspection and the basis for the reserve list attached to the PV de réception.
Each reserve carries four facts: where the defect is, which trade owns it, what the defect is (with a photo), and when it must be cleared. Without these four facts a reserve is disputable. With them, the architect has an evidence chain that holds for the full 10 years of decennial liability.
Captured in Builddar, the OPR report is generated from the data logged on-site. The architect does not retype anything. Every reserve, photo, and deadline recorded during the walkthrough becomes the report, and then the reserve list inside the PV de réception.
How do you run an OPR well?
A good OPR is systematic, evidenced, and fast to act on. You inspect in a fixed order so no zone is skipped, you record each reserve with location, trade, photo, and deadline at the moment you see it, and you assign it to the responsible subcontractor before you leave the site.
The common failure is a paper or spreadsheet OPR: notes taken on-site, retyped that evening, photos that do not match the line items, and reserves with no clear owner. Disputes start there. Capture on mobile during the walkthrough removes the retyping step and keeps the photo attached to the reserve it documents.
Your firm's own OPR checklist runs on a mobile capture app, so the inspection follows your methodology and every reserve is logged once, on-site, with proof attached.
How to run an OPR step by step
- 01
Set the OPR checklist before you arrive
Load your firm's OPR checklist for the project: phases, zone types, lots, and inspection points. Setting up a firm template takes about 20 minutes once, then it applies to every operation. The checklist makes sure no zone or trade is skipped during the walkthrough.
- 02
Walk the site lot by lot in a fixed order
Inspect each zone in the same sequence every time: facades, common areas, technical rooms, then each unit. A fixed order means nothing is missed and the report reads consistently. The architect leads; the conducteur de travaux and subcontractors attend for their lots.
- 03
Log each reserve with location, trade, photo, and deadline
The moment you see a defect, record it on the mobile capture app with its exact location, the responsible trade, a photo, and the deadline to clear it. Capturing on-site in about 30 seconds per reserve removes the retyping step and keeps the photo attached to the right line item.
- 04
Assign each reserve to the responsible subcontractor
Each reserve is assigned automatically to the trade that owns it. Subcontractors use Builddar for free, so the assignee receives the reserve directly. Nothing waits for an end-of-day email to be distributed.
- 05
Generate and sign the OPR report on-site
At the end of the walkthrough, generate the OPR report from the data you captured. It lists every reserve by lot and location with deadlines, branded with your firm. The architect and developer sign it as the official record of the inspection.
- 06
Track the levée des réserves to resolution
After the OPR, each reserve runs to its deadline. Automatic reminders follow up with subcontractors when a deadline approaches or passes, with escalation when responses do not come. The architect verifies each correction before marking the reserve cleared.
- 07
Carry the verified reserve list into the PV de réception
Once the OPR reserves are tracked and cleared, the reserve list flows into the PV de réception. The reception document confirms work already verified rather than discovering problems late. The signed chain of evidence is retained for the full 10 years of decennial liability.