Certificate of Substantial Completion

What's Included

• Project name, address, owner, GC, and architect/designer fields
• Date of substantial completion declaration
• Outstanding items list (minor punch list exceptions that do not prevent occupancy)
• Final contract amount and retainage release amount
• Warranty period start date
• Owner responsibilities after substantial completion
• Punch list completion schedule (date for all remaining items)
• Owner acceptance signature and date
• GC certification signature and date
• Notarization blocks for both parties

Who This Is For

Every GC completing a project. The Certificate of Substantial Completion formally triggers: the right to collect final payment (or retainage release), the start of the contractor's warranty period, the transfer of risk and insurance responsibility from the contractor to the owner, and the statutory start of the limitations period for construction claims in many states.

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