OPR and reception checklist for architects
Updated 4 June 2026
An OPR and reception checklist is a structured, trade-by-trade list of what an architect inspects before signing the PV de réception. The OPR (opérations préalables à la réception) is the formal inspection that precedes handover. A complete checklist covers the building envelope, structure, finishes, and every technical lot. Each inspected item ends in one of three states: conform, defect (réserve), or not verifiable. This guide gives a working checklist by trade, the réserves architects log most often, and how to structure the list so the PV de réception writes itself from the data you captured on site.
What is an OPR and reception checklist?
An OPR and reception checklist is the inspection script an architect follows during the opérations préalables à la réception. It lists every point to verify before the maître d'ouvrage takes delivery of the building. The checklist is organized by lot (trade) so each subcontractor is held to a defined scope.
The checklist exists for one reason: the PV de réception triggers the 10-year décennale liability. Every item you sign as conform is an item you defend for 10 years. A checklist makes the inspection complete, repeatable, and traceable. Anything not on the list is anything you forgot.
Builddar is the construction quality operating system for architects managing OPR, execution, and reception. It runs your checklist on a mobile capture app on site, so each verified item, photo, and réserve is logged in one place and carried straight into the PV.
What do you inspect by trade during the OPR?
Inspect the structure and envelope first: foundations visible at access points, load-bearing walls, slabs, façade cladding, roof waterproofing, flashings, and rainwater goods. Common réserves: cracked render, ponding on flat roofs, missing sealant at penetrations, misaligned cladding panels.
Then the second-fix and finishing lots: joinery alignment and door operation, paint and plaster finish, floor levelness and tile lippage, suspended ceilings, sanitary ware fixing and sealing. Common réserves: doors that bind, chipped tiles, uneven joints, paint runs, scratched glazing.
Then the technical lots (CVC, plumbing, electrical, fire safety): test runs of HVAC, water pressure and leak checks, socket and circuit testing, fire doors, extinguishers, alarms, emergency lighting. Common réserves: unbalanced ventilation, weak hot-water delivery, unlabelled circuits, fire doors that do not self-close, missing DOE and DIUO documents.
How do you structure réserves so the PV is defensible?
Structure every réserve with five fixed fields: location (building, level, zone), lot or trade, description, a dated photo, and a deadline for the levée des réserves. A réserve without a location and a photo is a réserve you cannot enforce.
Assign each réserve to the responsible subcontractor at the moment you log it, not days later from memory. The architect records the observation; the contractor owns the correction. This separation is what holds up if a dispute reaches the reception table or beyond.
Keep one live status per item: open, in progress, or lifted (levée). The reception status is the sum of these states. When every item is conform or every réserve is documented with a deadline, the PV de réception is ready to sign.
What does Builddar automate in the OPR checklist?
Your firm's checklist runs as-is, not a generic template. You configure phases, zone types, trades, and inspection points once. Setting up a firm template takes about 20 minutes, and every project after that reuses it.
On site, the mobile capture app logs each réserve in roughly 30 seconds with location, trade, photo, and deadline. The Automatic Reminder System then follows up with subcontractors by email and SMS until each réserve is lifted, with escalation rules when responses do not come.
At reception, the PV de réception is generated from the data you already captured. You do not re-enter a single réserve. Data is EU-hosted, the app supports French, English, and Spanish, and the full audit trail stays available for the 10-year décennale period.
How to run an OPR and reception checklist step by step
- 01
Build the checklist by lot before the visit
List every trade on the project and the inspection points for each. Order them by sequence on site: structure and envelope, then finishes, then technical lots. A checklist built in advance is a visit you can complete in one pass.
- 02
Walk the site trade by trade
Inspect each lot against its points in physical order through the building. Mark every item conform, defect, or not verifiable. Do not skip an item because it looks fine from the door; verify it or mark it not verifiable.
- 03
Log each réserve with location, photo, and deadline
For every defect, capture the location, the trade, a clear description, a dated photo, and a deadline for correction. Log it on site at the moment you see it, in about 30 seconds, not from notes that evening.
- 04
Assign each réserve to the responsible subcontractor
Attach each réserve to the contractor whose lot it belongs to. The architect records the observation; the contractor owns the fix. Clear ownership is what makes the levée des réserves enforceable.
- 05
Send the punch list and trigger reminders
Distribute the réserves to each subcontractor and start automatic reminders by email and SMS. Set escalation rules so a missed deadline does not sit silent until reception.
- 06
Track every réserve to lifted
Keep one live status per item: open, in progress, or lifted. Re-inspect corrections and confirm each levée with a fresh photo. The reception status is simply the sum of these states in real time.
- 07
Generate and sign the PV de réception
Produce the PV de réception from the captured data, with each item conform or each réserve documented with its deadline. Sign with confidence, then archive the full audit trail for the 10-year décennale period.