Handover and guarantee: what to check before a job is signed off

The difference between a proper handover and just getting an invoice

An invoice tells you what you owe. It does not tell you whether the work matches what was agreed, or give you anything to point to later if a tile comes loose or a socket stops working. Those are two separate steps, and it is worth treating them as such rather than paying the moment the invoice lands in your inbox.

A proper handover means walking through the finished work with whoever did it, room by room, before you pay. For a small job — hanging a door, fixing a leak, mounting shelves — this can take five minutes. For a flat renovation it deserves a proper look, ideally in daylight, with the work still visible and nothing covered up yet.

What to check before you say the work is finished

Look at the work from the angle you will actually see it from, not just close up. Check that doors and windows open and close without catching, that tiles are flush and grout lines are even, that paint has no roller marks or patches under strong light, and that sockets and switches you asked to have moved or added are where you agreed. If underfloor heating was involved, ask whether it has been tested and balanced.

Run water where there was plumbing work and check under the sink or behind the wall for damp after half an hour, not immediately. Check that any new radiator valves work and that nothing rattles or vibrates. If something is not right, this is the moment to say so — once furniture is back in and you have paid, it becomes a much smaller thing to raise.

• Doors and windows open, close, and latch properly
• Tiles are flush, grout is even, no cracked or chipped pieces
• Paint is even under raking light, no missed patches or drips
• Sockets, switches, and light fittings are where agreed and work
• No damp, smell, or drips after running water for thirty minutes
• Underfloor heating or radiators are on and behaving normally
• Nothing loose, wobbling, or rattling that wasn't there before

How the 24-month guarantee should be documented

Work we carry out comes with a 24-month guarantee, and it is worth having something in writing that states the date the work was finished, what was done, and that the guarantee applies from that date. For hourly odd jobs this can simply be the invoice, itemised by task, kept alongside any photos taken on the day. For a flat renovation, ask for a short handover note or confirmation email that lists the rooms and work covered.

The guarantee covers the work itself — a tap we fitted leaking again, a door we hung sagging on its hinges — not wear from normal use, and not equipment or materials you bought yourself and asked us to install. If you supplied the tap and it fails, that is a manufacturer's matter, not ours. Keep the invoice; it is your proof of the date and the scope.

What to photograph before the furniture goes back in

Once furniture, rugs, and appliances are back in place, you lose the ability to see the floor, walls, and skirting clearly, and so does anyone assessing a problem later. Before anything goes back, photograph each room from a couple of angles, close-ups of any joins, tiling, and paintwork, and anywhere pipework or wiring was opened up and closed again.

These photographs are useful for two reasons. They give you a clear record of the condition at handover, which matters if something is disputed later, and they save you having to move furniture again if you want to point to a specific spot in six months. Photograph skirting boards and floor edges too — small gaps there are easy to miss on the day and easy to spot in a photo afterwards.

• Each room from two or three angles with good light
• Close-ups of tile joins, grout lines, and paint edges
• Any wall or floor that was opened for pipework or wiring, before and after
• Skirting boards and floor-to-wall junctions
• Serial numbers or model plates on any new fittings or appliances

When it is worth waiting a little longer to pay

If the work involves anything that needs time to reveal a fault — a repaired leak, new plumbing, underfloor heating, a repainted damp wall — it is reasonable to ask to see it perform for a day or two before final payment, especially on a larger job. This is normal and most tradesmen will not object to it, particularly if it was discussed before the job started.

It is not reasonable to withhold payment indefinitely over cosmetic preferences that were not part of the original brief, and it puts a fair working relationship at risk if every job ends in a dispute. If you are unsure whether to wait, say so plainly: agree a short window, get it in writing, and pay once you are satisfied.

What the guarantee does not cover

The guarantee covers work that was carried out and fails through fault in that work. It does not cover normal wear — a tap handle stiffening after two years of daily use, paint dulling from sunlight, sealant needing a refresh around a shower. It also does not cover damage caused after handover: a shelf that comes down because it was later overloaded, or a door that sticks after a flat has settled following unrelated building work nearby.

It does not cover materials or fittings you bought and asked to have installed, if the fault lies with the product itself rather than the fitting. And it does not extend to changes you make yourself afterwards — if you repaint over our work or someone else alters it, the guarantee no longer applies to that area. For a flat renovation from 180 € or an odd job from 39 € an hour, keeping the invoice and handover photos is what makes the guarantee mean something later.