Do not make final payment until the contractually required handover is complete.
- [ ] installed dimensions checked
- [ ] unloaded freeboard recorded
- [ ] pile/anchor installation record
- [ ] certified engineering drawings
- [ ] as-built drawings
- [ ] planning/authority completion documents
- [ ] Crown/jetty/tidal licence documentation
- [ ] electrical certificate
- [ ] material/welding records where required
- [ ] warranty documents
- [ ] float warranty
- [ ] deck warranty
- [ ] accessories manuals
- [ ] spare keys/tools
- [ ] maintenance schedule
- [ ] inspection intervals
- [ ] builder emergency contact
- [ ] defects list closed
- [ ] final photographs
Why handover is the moment that matters
Handover is the last point at which the builder still wants something from you. Defects raised before final payment get fixed; the same defects raised afterwards become a warranty negotiation. Everything below is easier to obtain on the day than three months later.
Documents to receive
- As-built drawings reflecting what was actually installed, not the tender drawings.
- Engineering certification for the structure and its restraint, naming the engineer.
- Material certificates or product data for the major components.
- Approval documents and evidence that any conditions imposed have been discharged.
- Warranty documents, stating what is covered, for how long, and what voids it.
- The maintenance schedule the warranty assumes, with intervals.
- Component schedule and spares list, with supplier and lead times.
- Contact details for defect reporting and the agreed response times.
Physical checks on the day
- Freeboard measured at the deck edge and compared with the specified figure.
- Pontoon level and trim under no load, and again with a representative load.
- Pile guides or restraint hardware checked through the full range of movement.
- Gangway gradient measured, and the water level at the time recorded.
- Every fastener visible and accounted for; no missing, loose or substituted items.
- Isolation between dissimilar metals confirmed where specified.
- Anodes present, correctly sized and correctly connected.
- Deck surface, edges and fixings free of defects and trip hazards.
- Services tested: power, water, lighting, each under load.
- Cleats and fittings load-path checked, not just visually present.
Record it properly
- Photograph everything, including serial numbers and labels, before the site is cleared.
- Write a defects list on the day, have it signed, and attach dates to each item.
- Note the water level and conditions during testing, since that context matters later.
- Store the whole pack together; if the property is sold, this is what proves the structure is legitimate.
Questions buyers ask
Should I withhold payment until defects are fixed?
Retention and defect rectification are contract matters that should have been agreed before work started. If your contract provides for retention, handover is when it earns its keep.
What if the builder says certification comes later?
Ask when, in writing, and who is providing it. Certification that has not been arranged by handover is a risk you are being asked to carry without being told.