Finishing
Synonyms: Finishes، Finishing Works، Fit-out، Architectural Finishes
Last updated: 2026-09-25
Short Definition
Finishing is the final stage of construction that follows completion of the structure and main services, covering plaster, paint, flooring, suspended ceilings, doors and windows, sanitary and electrical fittings and façade cladding, turning the building from a shell into a usable unit.
Overview
Legal Basis
Art. 463 of the Civil Transactions Law (M/191 dated 29/11/1444H) requires a contractor who supplies materials to ensure they meet the agreed conditions and specifications or are fit for purpose according to custom, and Art. 465 requires completion in line with the contract terms and accepted practice. For off-plan sales, Art. 14 of the Off-Plan Law's implementing regulations obliges the developer to build to the agreed specifications and give buyers the as-built drawings, and Art. 31 prohibits releasing the retention if construction or finishing defects are established by a licensed expert's report, allowing REGA to extend the retention by six months and use it for repairs. The Saudi Building Code Implementation Law (M/43) prohibits occupying a building without an occupancy certificate (Art. 9).
Practical Example
A buyer takes delivery of an off-plan flat in Al Khobar bought for SAR 780,000. At the pre-handover inspection he brings an engineer to prepare a snag list, which reveals a bathroom floor slope that causes ponding, uneven paint colour and windows of a lower grade than the contract specifies. He submits a licensed expert's report to the developer, and the chartered accountant withholds release of the project retention until repairs are done. The developer starts repairs within five days of REGA's notice and replaces the windows at its own cost of about SAR 14,000, after which both parties sign a final acceptance record.
Common Mistakes
- ✗Contracting for "premium finishing" without a specification schedule stating brands, grades and quantities for each item.
- ✗Accepting the unit without an engineering inspection and a signed snag list, weakening later claims.
- ✗Doing finishes before testing plumbing, electrical and waterproofing, then breaking tiles to fix them.
- ✗Choosing cheap materials that do not meet the building code's thermal-insulation or fire requirements.
- ✗Confusing visible finishing defects, recorded at handover, with hidden defects that appear later.
International Differences
In Egypt, units are commonly sold "semi-finished" or "core and shell" for buyers to complete themselves; in Turkey, most new flats are delivered fully finished with a technical specification (teknik şartname) in the contract; and in the UAE, units are usually handed over finished with a defects warranty period. In Saudi Arabia, levels range from "athm" (shell) to turnkey, and off-plan sales are distinctive for a statutory retention mechanism that blocks release of the guarantee when finishing defects are established.
