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The construction project closeout process is a set of activities that you carry out to complete and ensure that it complies with the contract. It is the final stage of the construction project. It is also known as the finishing work. This stage’s objective is to ensure that all the construction work is complete and that you’ve removed any unnecessary leftover items.
There are many tasks that you need to do to finish the closeout. This process is where you should be tying up all the loose ends. This process aims to ensure that the building or facility will be safe and ready for use and that you have fulfilled all of your contractual obligations.
To ensure a successful construction project closeout process, here are seven helpful tips that you can apply.
- Hold a pre-closeout meeting.
A pre-closeout meeting is a meeting that you hold with the construction team and other vital stakeholders before the closeout stage of a project. The construction manager should have the pre-closeout meeting to discuss any remaining issues and ensure that all necessary documentation is complete.
This meeting aims to ensure that you’ve completed the project satisfactorily and that there are no outstanding issues or defects. The pre-closeout meeting should be held as early as possible, preferably in the month before the closeout stage begins.
Everyone hates meetings, so to have a successful meeting for your pre-closeout process, having a precise itinerary and practicing as much as possible can make the meeting quicker and easier.
The main goal of this meeting is to make sure that you’ve resolved all issues so that there are no surprises once construction ends.
It should also allow everyone to ask questions about what happened during construction, what tasks people still need to do before they leave, and what they will need when they come back on site.
The pre-closeout meeting should also include discussions about how well things went during construction and how well people worked together throughout the process.
2. Collect and organize all necessary documents
The construction project closeout process is the final stage of a construction project. At this stage, you should be collecting and organizing all the documents and details related to the project to ensure that there are no loose ends.
You should do this process before the contract expires or before the project’s next phase starts. This precaution will help prevent potential issues with contracts, claims, warranties, or other legal agreements.
The benefits of organizing and collecting documents are:
- It makes tracking all the documents related to the construction project more manageable.
- It helps with the closeout process, which can be time-consuming and difficult if you don’t have everything organized.
- It saves time when you have to find specific documents later on because they are all in one place.
Ideally, it would be best if you had organized and collected these documents to make this process as fast and easy as possible.
3. Review all change orders
The change order is a document created to document the changes needed on a construction project or that you applied throughout the project. It can be a tool to request or authorize an alteration or variation in the work.
You will need to create a change order when there is a need for changes to the original contract, such as when the construction company has completed the work and there are some issues.
There is a need to review all change orders during the construction project closeout process so that all parties involved can finalize these changes.
4. Complete a punch list
A punch list is a list of items that you need to complete before the construction project counts as a completed project. The contractor or subcontractor should compile this after they have completed their work, including all remaining work they need to do on-site and any items left in the contract documents that you haven’t finished.
A punch list can be an opportunity to find any items you may have missed or not fully completed during construction.
5. Handover to client
An essential part of the construction closeout process is where you transfer all the required documentation to the client. It would be best if you did the handover to make it easy for the client to understand and absorb.
The closeout process includes handing over all the drawings, specifications, and calculations you need for construction completion. The contractor should also hand over any information or data related to subcontractors, suppliers, and other stakeholders involved in the project.
It includes finalizing documents, reviewing feedback from the client, and submitting all paperwork for payment.
6. Close all open contracts
Closing all open contracts during the construction project closeout process is a critical part of the process. The contract closeout process ensures that every contract for work on the project is complete and that you have fulfilled all your legal obligations.
You can consult your contract management system and update the information to ensure that you’ve closed any open contracts and that there aren’t any issues with the other arrangements. Completing all available agreements during this time will ensure that there are no outstanding obligations or liabilities for either party and that everyone can move on to their following jobs with peace of mind.
7. Perform final lessons learned
During the project closeout, you can learn more about the operation’s successes and failures to understand how to better your following construction projects.
A final lessons learned process should include the following:
- Identify what went wrong and why
- Identify what went well and why
- What could have gone better?
This process will allow you and your team to review any lessons you’ve learned along the way and ensure that your team is not making the same mistakes again. It will also help them to decide if there are any changes that you need to make for future projects.
Conclusion
These tips should help you have a smoother and more successful or meaningful construction project closeout process. That way, your stakeholders can have an excellent closeout to the project, and your team can get a brief recap celebrating successes and learning from failures. That way, every party will have a great end to the project.
