The defect liability period (DLP) is the time after a project is completed, frequently 12 months and fixed by the contract, during which the contractor must repair any defects that appear at their own cost.
DLP begins on the date the work is certified complete. If the client reports defects, the contractor must fix them; if they do not, the client can have the work done by others and recover the cost from the retention or guarantee.
Retention money, or a bank guarantee in its place, is commonly released at the end of the DLP once defects have been put right.
It is also called the defects notification period or, loosely, the warranty period, though a warranty on materials or equipment is a separate matter.
Keep the completion certificate and defect notices with the project’s documents, which are versioned and reviewed, and watch the retention still held in pending payments. See all features.
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