The work is done, the customer is happy, you shake hands. Many tradespeople leave it at that. Yet acceptance is one of the most important moments of the whole job. A short record with signatures protects you from a lot of trouble.
This guide is based on German law. The idea of a written handover with a defect list is useful everywhere, but the legal effects differ from country to country.
Why acceptance matters so much
With acceptance, the customer confirms that your work essentially meets the contract. Several consequences depend on it:
- Your invoice becomes due. Without acceptance, the customer can usually withhold payment of the final invoice.
- The warranty period starts. From now on the limitation period for defects runs, usually five years for buildings and two years for many other kinds of work.
- The burden of proof shifts. Before acceptance, you have to prove your work is in order. After it, the customer has to prove there is a defect.
- The risk passes over. If the finished work is accidentally damaged afterwards, the customer generally bears that.
What goes into an acceptance record
- Parties: your business and the customer, plus others present if needed
- Job and site: address, job number, quote or contract with date
- Date and time of acceptance
- Scope: is all the work being accepted or only part of it?
- Result: accepted, accepted with defects, or acceptance refused
- Defect list: each defect separately, with exact location, description and a deadline for fixing it
- Photos of the defects and the finished work
- The customer's reservations, for example about known defects or a contractual penalty
- Signatures of both sides
Recording defects properly
“Grout not nice” helps no one. Better: “Bathroom, upper floor, wall behind the washbasin: grout between tiles 3 and 4 broken out over approx. 20 cm. To be fixed by 24 October.” That way you both know exactly what needs doing and whether it has been done.
Minor defects are no reason to refuse acceptance altogether. The customer may only refuse for significant defects. With smaller defects, the work is accepted and the defects go into the record with a deadline.
The record matters for the customer too: if they know about a defect at acceptance and don't reserve their rights, they can lose certain claims. A good record is fair to both sides.
What if the customer doesn't turn up for acceptance?
German law provides for deemed acceptance (Section 640(2) BGB): you report completion and give the customer a reasonable deadline for acceptance. If they don't respond and don't name a defect, the work counts as accepted. With private customers, this only works if you told them about this consequence in text form beforehand. If the VOB/B has been agreed, its own acceptance rules apply (Section 12 VOB/B).
If the customer refuses acceptance, you can ask that you jointly record the condition of the work (Section 650g BGB). Again, this works best with a record and photos.
Common mistakes
- No record at all, just a handshake. Later it's unclear when acceptance happened and which defects there were.
- Defects described too vaguely, without location or deadline.
- No photos. Especially with later complaints, photos from the day of acceptance are worth their weight in gold.
- Record written days later from memory.
- Only one side signs. Have both sign and give the customer a copy.
Acceptance without the paperwork? In Contractor Studio you record the result and any defects with deadlines and photos, the customer signs, and you get the record as a PDF. From the same job you then create the final invoice, also as an e-invoice if needed. Offline app, your data stays on your device, one-time purchase with no subscription.
Frequently asked questions
Does acceptance have to be in writing?
Not by law. It can also happen through conduct, for example when the customer uses the work and pays for it. But a written record is the safest proof of date, scope and defects.
Can parts of a job be accepted in advance?
Yes, if it has been agreed or the parts can sensibly be separated. This is common for longer jobs with several construction phases, for example.
How long is a tradesperson liable after acceptance?
Under German law, usually five years for work on a building and two years for many other kinds of work, counted from acceptance. Contracts can differ in some respects.
What happens to the defects in the record?
You fix them within the deadline and get the completion confirmed, ideally with a photo and date.
Acceptance right on your phone
In Contractor Studio you do the acceptance on site: choose the result, record defects with deadlines and photos, the customer signs on the phone, and the PDF record is ready. Photos get a time stamp and a check code. You then create the final invoice from the same job, with all confirmed change orders. How to record extra work properly is explained in the guide Change orders in the trades. The app runs offline with no subscription, and your data stays on your device.
This article is general guidance (as of October 2026) and is not legal advice. For specific disputes, contact your trade association or a lawyer.