Condo works, from the defect to the warranty
Who decides, under which majority, with which quotes, funded how, handed over when. Nine chapters following the life of a project, with the statutes and the in-depth article for each.
A condo project rarely goes wrong on the technical side. It goes wrong on dates: the wrong majority, the quote that arrived after the notice, the handover done with no written snags. This guide follows the project in the order those dates arrive.
- 1
Who decides which works
It all depends on what is touched. Common parts are for the general meeting; private parts belong to the owner — except where their works affect the common parts or the external appearance, which then requires authorisation.
- Upkeep and repairs to the common parts: article 24 majority.
- Improvements and alterations: article 25 majority.
- An owner cannot breach a load-bearing wall or alter a façade without a vote.
- An authorisation attaches to the lot, not to the current occupier.
Articles 24, 25 and 30 of the act of 10 July 1965
Private works touching the common parts - 2
Emergency works
The managing agent may start, without a prior vote, works needed to preserve the building. It is a narrow exception: they must convene the meeting without delay to have them ratified, and “urgent” does not mean “in a hurry”.
- Preserving the building, not comfort and not appearance.
- Immediate convening of the meeting for ratification.
- The board must be informed, and does well to be informed in writing.
Article 18 of the act of 10 July 1965 and article 37 of the 1967 decree
Emergency works the agent can start alone - 3
The multi-year works plan
The plan programmes over ten years the works needed to preserve the building, with their estimated cost. It changes the nature of the debate: you are no longer voting an isolated expense, you are voting one step of a known schedule.
- Drawn up from a survey of the building’s condition.
- Updated periodically and put to the meeting.
- Its total sets a floor for the works fund contribution.
- It is not a decision: each phase still has to be voted.
Article 14-2 of the act of 10 July 1965
The multi-year works plan in practice - 4
Comparing quotes
The cheapest quote is rarely the same scope. Comparing means bringing the offers back to a common base: same works, same quantities, same warranties, same duration on site.
- Line up the items before comparing the totals.
- Check what is excluded: scaffolding, stripping out, disposal, making good.
- Ask for the structural insurance certificate, in force.
Article 21 of the act of 10 July 1965
Comparing condo works quotes - 5
Competitive tendering
Above a threshold the meeting sets itself, contracts must be put out to tender and the board must be consulted. It is the most effective lever on cost, and it requires no confrontation.
- The threshold is voted by the meeting; the statute does not set it.
- Competing quotes travel with the notice, not with the session.
- No tendering weakens the resolution.
Article 21 of the act of 10 July 1965
Tendering: thresholds and method - 6
Funding the works
Three sources, often combined: the works fund built up in advance, a call for funds voted with the resolution, and a collective loan. The better funded the reserve, the less brutal the one-off call.
- The works fund is compulsory and attaches to the lots.
- Its minimum contribution depends on the budget and the works plan total.
- The call for funds follows the schedule voted with the resolution.
- A collective loan is voted but binds only those who subscribe to it.
Articles 14-2-1 and 26-4 of the act of 10 July 1965
Working out the works fund contribution - 7
Tracking the site
The board does not run the works — the agent has them carried out. But the board is the one on site, the one raising the alarm when the schedule slips, and the one keeping a record of what was promised at the meeting.
- Date every observation, and photograph it.
- Set instalments paid against actual progress.
- Going over the voted amount takes a fresh vote.
Article 21 of the act of 10 July 1965
The works tracking sheet - 8
Handover and snags
It is the most important act of the project, and the most often rushed. It starts the statutory warranties and fixes the defects observed. A snag not written down on the day is very hard to rely on afterwards.
- Record snags in writing, in the handover minutes.
- Handover starts the one-year defects liability period.
- The ten-year structural warranty covers defects compromising the works.
- Keep the minutes: they are what dates the warranties.
Articles 1792 and following of the civil code
Handover and the ten-year structural warranty - 9
When the contractor does not finish
Delay, walking off site, defective work: the answer is always the same, in order — dated writing, formal notice, then calling on the warranties. Every step skipped weakens the next.
- Set out in writing what has been observed, with dates and photos.
- Serve formal notice by recorded delivery, with a precise deadline.
- It is the agent who acts for the association, not the board.
Articles 1217 and following of the civil code
Chasing a contractor who has not finished
Four mistakes that cost money
None shows on the day it is made. All of them are paid for at handover, or two years later.
The quote that grows along the way
Beyond the voted amount you need a fresh vote — or a delegation of powers with a cap. A variation signed by the agent alone can be challenged.
Structural insurance never checked
A certificate that had lapsed on the day of the works means no cover at all. Ask for it before signing, not after the damage.
Everything settled by phone
A project is judged on dated writings. What was not written does not exist at the moment you go looking for someone responsible.
No handover minutes
Without them the warranty start date is uncertain and snags cannot be proved. This is the document never to let slide.
These tools are calculation aids, provided for guidance only. They replace neither your co-ownership rules, nor the minutes of the general meeting, nor professional advice: in case of disagreement, your building’s own documents prevail.
Frequently asked questions about condo works
Upkeep and repairs to the common parts fall under the article 24 majority, that is, the votes cast. Improvements and alterations fall under article 25, which counts every co-owner including absentees — with the article 25-1 fallback where a third of the votes is reached.
A project outlives a message thread
Between the first quote and the last snag cleared, eighteen months and two board meetings often go by. The photos end up in a messaging group, the quotes across four inboxes. CoproHarmony holds the project in one place, from the first report to the warranty.
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