Practical completion is a commercial event, not a milestone

Practical completion sounds like a site event: the works are finished, the client takes over, the hoarding comes down. Commercially it is far more than that. On an Irish contract the completion certificate is the switch that changes several money positions at once, and a surveyor who treats it as a formality misses the point of it.

What the certificate does

When the works reach completion under an RIAI form or a Public Works Contract, the certificate marks the point at which the works are ready to be taken over, subject to any outstanding items to be made good. From that moment several consequences flow, and they flow together.

• Retention releases. The first tranche of retention typically falls due at completion, claimed as a payment in its own right.
• The defects period starts. The clock on making good outstanding items begins, and the balance of retention waits for its end.
• Damages stop. The contractor exposure to damages for late completion ends at the certified date.

Why the date is worth arguing about

Because the certified completion date decides whether damages for delay apply and up to when. A contractor entitled to an extension of time wants the completion obligation measured against the extended date, not the original one. The two questions, completion and extension of time, meet here, and the difference between them can be the difference between a clean handover and a deduction for damages.

Completion is not perfection

Completion does not mean every last item is done. It means the works are fit to be taken over, with minor items listed to be made good in the defects period. Confusing the two causes disputes in both directions: a client withholding completion over snagging that belongs in the defects list, or a contractor claiming completion while real works remain. The line between an outstanding minor item and incomplete work is where the argument sits, and records settle it.

The discipline

Treat the completion certificate as a commercial trigger, not a ceremony. When it is issued, claim the retention that falls due, diary the end of the defects period for the balance, and confirm the date against any extension of time so the damages position is clear. The certificate you act on promptly is the one that puts money back in the account.