From Completion to Final Assessment: Closing an NEC project the right way
If you caught our previous blog on how to successfully start your NEC project, you know that getting off to the right start is important, but finishing strong is where the real challenge lies. Project closure isn’t just ticking boxes: it’s when risk and responsibility transfer from Contractor to Client, payments are finalised and the defects period begins. Miss a step here, and small oversights can escalate into disputes, delays and costly headaches.
In this guide, Dr Stuart Kings, co-founder of Sypro and NEC4 drafter, walks us through the critical end-of-contract milestones: Completion, Takeover, Defects, certifications and the all-important Final Assessment. Follow his expert advice to close your NEC projects efficiently, confidently and without surprises.
Understand the roles: Project Manager vs Supervisor
Before exploring the closure process, it’s essential that everyone involved understands their role. Clarity here is more than administrative – it directly impacts risk management, efficiency and dispute avoidance.
Project Manager
- Oversees time and cost
- Compiles and manages the Early Warning Register, compensation events and core contract administration
- Issues instructions except those reserved for the Supervisor
- May accept a Contractor’s quotation for an accepted defect, where appropriate
Supervisor
- Oversees quality control throughout the project
- Notifies Defects and issues the Defects Certificate
- Cannot certify completion
Using a platform like Sypro helps reinforce these distinctions, keeping notifications, certificates and actions firmly within the correct NEC-defined role while also creating a clear audit trail – a critical factor if disputes arise.
Nailing your completion strategy
Completion isn’t just a date on the calendar; it’s a strategic milestone that can affect risk, cashflow and project handover.
Your Completion strategy depends on the contract and the nature of the project. Completion may occur either:
- As one event (whole project Completion), or
- In sections, each with its own criteria and dates
Singular Completion suits simpler projects with a single handover, while Sectional Completion works better for phased programmes or complex projects where different parts must become operational at different times. Choosing the right approach can prevent delays and disputes later.
Under NEC4 ECC, Completion is achieved when the Contractor has done all the work stated in the Scope necessary for Completion and has corrected any notified Defects that would prevent use.
Defects, notifications and the defects period
Defects can range widely – from cosmetic issues like an incorrect paint colour, to functional issues such as misaligned doors or windows.
Under the contract:
- Clause 43.2 requires both Supervisor and Contractor to notify defects as soon as they become aware of them
- Clause 13.7 requires each notification to be issued separately – batching multiple defects into a single notification does not comply with NEC processes
Acceptable vs unacceptable defects
Minor Defects that don’t prevent use may be listed at Completion and rectified during the defects period. In some cases, the Client may choose to accept a Defect – such as a colour variation – but this must be approved by the Client and usually involves a reduction in prices or earlier Completion.
Acceptance of a defect is not a compensation event under Clause 60.1(1).
When agreeing a reduction, both parties should consider whole-life cost and future maintenance impact.
If defects aren’t corrected
If a Contractor fails to correct notified defects, the Project Manager can estimate the cost of engaging others to fix them. This figure is then deducted from interim or final payments. The assessment must be fair, transparent and evidence based.
If access cannot be provided – for example, due to safety constraints or operational restrictions – the Project Manager should still estimate the cost as though the original Contractor had been able to carry out the work.
Defects date
The defects date functions like a warranty period, during which Contractors must rectify defects.
Typically, this is 52 weeks from Completion but may be 104 weeks on larger or more complex projects.
Where a defect is notified during this period, the Contractor must correct it within the defect correction period, not simply before the Defects Date.
Typical examples include:
- Two weeks for general defects
- 24 hours for life-safety issues
- Five days for cosmetic finishes
Issuing the Completion Certificate correctly
Before issuing the Completion Certificate, the Project Manager must confirm that:
- All Scope requirements have been met
- All required tests and commissioning activities have been successfully completed
- All documentation is in order
Under Clause 30.2, the Completion certificate must be issued within one week of Completion – but best practice is to issue it as soon as possible.
A final walk-through carried out by the Supervisor and relevant technical experts helps ensure all Completion criteria have been satisfied.
Managing Takeover smoothly
It’s important to note that Completion and Takeover are two separate events:
- Completion: the Contractor has met the Completion criteria
- Takeover: the Client formally takes over all or part of the works
A Takeover Certificate must be issued within one week, clearly setting out what has been taken over and the condition it was in.
Final Assessment
New under NEC4, Clause 53 replaces the old ‘Final Account’ with a more structured Final Assessment.
After the Defects Certificate is issued:
- The Project Manager has four weeks to assess the final amount due
- Both parties must work in accordance with Clause 10.2 – acting in a spirit of mutual trust and cooperation
If the Project Manager does not act in time, the Contractor may issue their own assessment, which becomes payable after three weeks.
The Final Assessment becomes conclusive unless a formal dispute is already under way.
It may only be revisited in cases of legal error (e.g. incorrect VAT), as set out in Clause 53.3, and any correction requires a contract addendum under Clause 12.3.
Using Sypro to simplify project closure
Contract closure can involve hundreds of moving parts, but Sypro helps pull everything into one place.
The platform mirrors NEC workflows by:
- Managing separate notifications
- Tracking Defects
- Storing and organising Completion, Takeover and Defects Certificates
- Supporting Final Assessment documentation
With more than 2,000 NEC contracts managed, Sypro is proven to improve compliance, reduce administrative strain and keep closure on track.
Bringing it all together
Just as getting your NEC project off to a strong start sets the tone, closing it properly ensures that effort translates into success. Project closure is where risk, responsibility and money converge – handle it well, and you will secure client satisfaction, minimise disputes and protect long-term value.
By understanding roles, managing Completion and Takeover effectively, addressing defects strategically and following a structured Final Assessment, you can finish your projects with confidence. With tools like Sypro to simplify workflows and reinforce NEC processes, you’re not just completing a project – you’re closing it the right way, every time.
Book a free demonstration
