Practical completion feels like the finish line, but every contractor knows the project is not truly over. The defects liability period, often six to twelve months after handover, is when latent issues surface and the paperwork you kept, or failed to keep, decides who pays. Here is how to manage it properly.
What the defects liability period actually is
The defects liability period, called the DLP, is a defined window after practical completion during which the contractor remains responsible for rectifying defects in the work. The client, or their agent, reports defects as they appear, and the contractor returns to put them right at their own cost.
The details live in the contract: how long the period runs, how defects must be notified, response times, and what happens at the end. Typically the end of the DLP triggers the release of the final retention payment, which is why it matters so much to cash flow.
Why the DLP goes wrong
The DLP fails in predictable ways. Defect reports arrive by phone, email, and text, with no central record. Nobody can agree whether an issue is a defect in the work or damage caused by the occupant. The contractor attends, fixes things informally, and keeps no evidence, so the same items reappear on the end-of-period list. And the final account drags on for months because nobody can prove what was resolved.
Underneath all of these is the same gap: no shared, evidenced record of what was reported, what was fixed, and when.
Set up the record before handover
DLP management starts at handover, not when the first defect call comes in. Before you hand over the keys:
- Close out the pre-handover snag list with photos and sign-offs, so there is a clean baseline of the condition at completion.
- Agree the reporting route: one channel where all DLP defects go, with the information each report must contain.
- Diarise the DLP end date and an interim review, so the period does not drift past unnoticed.
That baseline matters more than anything else. When a client reports a scratched floor in month eight, the handover record is what settles whether it was there at completion.
Manage reports like snags, because they are
Treat every DLP report exactly like a snag: log it with a description, photos, and location; assign it to a named person with a date; verify the fix with a completion photo; and keep the record attached to the project. The discipline is identical, only the timing differs.
Batch visits sensibly. Non-urgent items can often wait for a single planned visit rather than five separate callouts, as long as the client knows the plan and urgent items still get immediate attention.
Protect the end of the period
Two months before the DLP expires, run a structured review: walk the list, confirm every item is closed with evidence, and agree any outstanding items in writing. Then issue the final record. When the retention release depends on a clean close-out, an organised list is worth real money.
SnagCore keeps the whole arc in one place: the original snag list, completion evidence, and any post-handover items, all against the same project. Start a free trial and your next DLP close-out will be an export, not an excavation.
The defects liability period is not a chore to survive. Managed well, it is your final demonstration of professionalism, and the fastest route to your final payment.