Post-Construction

Post-construction is the phase following the physical completion of works, covering commissioning, final inspection, the occupancy certificate, handover, snag rectification and the start of operation, maintenance and warranty periods. Handover includes as-built drawings, operation and maintenance manuals and warranty certificates, and snags are fixed during the defects liability period. In Saudi Arabia this phase formally starts with the occupancy certificate application: after completion the permit holder applies, attaching the permits, final inspection and test approvals and as-built drawings (Art. 17 of the Implementing Regulation of the Saudi Building Code Implementation Law); the application is decided within three working days and the certificate states whether fire protection systems are provided (Art. 18); a temporary certificate of up to 180 days may be issued for temporary and seasonal buildings and worker housing (Art. 19), and the Balady platform also allows an occupancy certificate for a building component at the supervising office's request. On issue of the certificate, the mandatory ten-year inherent defects insurance is activated and the ten-year liability of the supervising designer and contractor begins. In off-plan projects, 5% of construction cost is retained for one year after the completion certificate to fund defect repairs. In multi-owner buildings, an owners' association must be formed and registered with REGA once there are three or more owners, and for off-plan sales registration runs from the start of delivery of the second unit. In practice, the quality of this phase determines a building's running costs for decades: a building handed over without as-built drawings, maintenance manuals or documented warranties is hard to maintain and to claim defects on. The handover file, a preventive maintenance system and records of every start date are therefore among the most valuable assets of the owner or owners' association.