Renovation closeout and records checklist

Before the final payment

• Walk through the work with the contractorRoom by room, against the written scope. Anything incomplete or not right goes on a deficiency list before the final payment, not after.
• Write a deficiency list that can actually be closedFor each item: where it is, what is wrong, a photo, who will fix it, and by when. Mark each one closed with the date, and keep the list.
• Pass every final inspectionEach building, electrical or gas permit usually ends with a final inspection. A permit that was opened but never closed can surface years later, often when the home is sold.
• Check the common areasHallways, elevators, parking and anything else used during the work should be left as they were found. Note any damage and how it was resolved.
• Confirm the conditions of the approval were metRe-read the strata’s written approval and any alteration agreement, and confirm each condition, such as materials, working hours or a final check by the strata.

Unclosed permits have real consequences. The City of Vancouver, for example, notes that work without a required permit can lead to penalties, removal of work, and problems when selling or making an insurance claim.^[10]

Documents to collect

• The written strata approval and any alteration agreementThese set out who is responsible for the alteration in future. Keep signed copies.
• Permits and final inspection recordsOne file per permit, including the final sign-off.
• Invoices, contract and proof of paymentIncluding any change orders agreed during the work.
• Warranties and product documentationManufacturer warranties, registration confirmations, care instructions and the contractor’s workmanship warranty, with their start dates.
• Exact product detailsFlooring and underlay products, tile, paint colours and finishes, fixture models. Small repairs later depend on matching them.
• As-built notes and photosPhotos of open walls and floors before they were closed, shut-off valve locations, and the updated electrical panel directory if circuits changed.
• Hazardous materials report, if one was doneIt records what was found and how it was handled, which the next renovation will need.

Close the loop with the strata

• Tell the strata in writing that the work is completeInclude anything the approval asked for, such as copies of permits or final inspections, so the strata’s file shows the alteration was finished as approved.
• Councils and managers: close the fileRecord completion and any follow-up against the original approval, and note any inspection of common property. A complete file answers the next owner’s, insurer’s or buyer’s question in minutes.
• Keep your own copyStrata correspondence only has to be kept for two years, so owners should not rely on the strata’s records alone for an alteration that will last decades.

In BC, the strata corporation must keep correspondence it sends or receives, minutes of council meetings, and written contracts,^[4] but the regulation only requires correspondence to be kept for at least two years and minutes for at least six.^[6] Owners can request copies of strata records, which must be provided within two weeks.^[4]

Why the record matters later

Under the Standard Bylaws, owners repair and maintain their own strata lot, while the strata corporation repairs common property and the building’s structure and exterior, with some exceptions.^[1] An alteration agreement can shift those responsibilities for the work you did. When a leak, a sale, an insurance claim or the next renovation arrives, the first questions are always the same: what was changed, who approved it, who did it, and who is responsible for it now. The answers belong with the property, not in a contractor’s inbox.