Glossary
New builds, construction parties and documents
Parties involved in construction, building stages, formal acceptance, handover of keys and documentation for new homes.
Acta de recepción de la obra (formal works acceptance record) (Acta de recepción de la obra, works acceptance record)
A document formalising delivery and acceptance of the works between contractor and developer, recording relevant circumstances and reservations. It matters when calculating building liability periods. It must be distinguished from handover of keys to the buyer, which can take place on a different date.Related terms: Recepción con reservas (acceptance with reservations), Plazo de garantía (guarantee period)Standard or law: Ley 38/1999, de Ordenación de la Edificación, art. 6
Acta de replanteo (setting-out record) (Acta de replanteo, initial site verification record)
A document recording checks of the site location and initial conditions before or at the start of construction. Scope depends on the contract and applicable procedure. It helps establish chronology and verify references but does not replace control of work carried out afterwards.Related terms: Proyecto de ejecución (detailed construction design), Director de obra (works director)
Work valuation certificate (Certificación de obra, construction payment valuation)
A document quantifying and valuing work completed during a period or phase according to contractual criteria. It is used for monitoring and payments. It does not necessarily constitute final acceptance of quality, so financial measurements, formal acceptance and checks of completed finishes must be distinguished.Related terms: Building contractor, Acta de recepción de la obra (formal works acceptance record)
Certificado final de obra (final works certificate) (Certificado final de obra, final construction certificate)
A document signed by the relevant technical professionals recording completion of the works under applicable regulatory terms. It forms part of the completion documentation. For a new home, it is reviewed alongside the design and changes without treating its existence as an absolute guarantee against defects.Related terms: Libro del edificio (building documentation file), Director de obra (works director)
Building contractor (Constructor, construction contractor)
The party contractually undertaking construction using the relevant human and material resources. Works must follow the design, contract and applicable regulations. In homes with defects, the work and participants are identified, because responsibility is assessed against specific facts and obligations within the construction process.Related terms: Developer (promotor), Work valuation certificateStandard or law: Ley 38/1999, de Ordenación de la Edificación, art. 11
Dirección facultativa (technical direction team) (Dirección facultativa, construction technical direction)
The professionals performing the technical direction duties prescribed for construction works. They may include the works director and execution director, with distinct responsibilities. Identifying them helps interpret instructions and certificates without treating the collective description as sufficient explanation of each defect's cause or responsible party.Related terms: Director de obra (works director), Director de ejecución de la obra (execution director)
Director de ejecución de la obra (execution director) (Director de ejecución de la obra, material execution director)
The party directing physical construction and controlling quality and quantity within their legal duties. The corresponding professional authorisation is required. Investigation reviews controls and documentation without automatically attributing every defect to this party or confusing their role with that of the contractor.Related terms: Director de obra (works director), Quality control planStandard or law: Ley 38/1999, de Ordenación de la Edificación, art. 13
Director de obra (works director) (Director de obra, technical works director)
A member of the technical direction team directing the works' development in technical matters and other areas prescribed by law. Participation must match the qualifying professional credentials required. Claims examine the individual's specific conduct, distinguishing it from physical construction and other responsibilities.Related terms: Director de ejecución de la obra (execution director), Dirección facultativa (technical direction team)Standard or law: Ley 38/1999, de Ordenación de la Edificación, art. 12
Building quality control organisation (Entidad de control de calidad de la edificación, construction quality verification body)
An organisation providing technical assistance in quality verification within the scope prescribed by regulations. Its work and extent must be identified. For a home, it matters what was checked and with which results, because involvement of an organisation does not imply every construction aspect was reviewed.Related terms: Quality control plan, Construction testing laboratoryStandard or law: Ley 38/1999, de Ordenación de la Edificación, art. 14
Handover of keys (Entrega de llaves, delivery of keys)
The act providing a buyer or user with physical access to the home. It may be accompanied by documents and service checks. Its date must be distinguished from formal acceptance of construction and other events, because legal periods and effects do not all begin at the same moment.Related terms: Acta de recepción de la obra (formal works acceptance record), Pre-purchase inspection
Construction testing laboratory (Laboratorio de ensayos de la construcción, building materials testing laboratory)
An organisation testing materials, products or construction systems within its field of activity. Results must identify the sample, method and conditions. In claims, they support technical conclusions but require representativeness and context, because an isolated test does not necessarily characterise the entire construction.Related terms: Standardised test, Quality control planStandard or law: Ley 38/1999, de Ordenación de la Edificación, art. 14
Libro de órdenes y asistencias (site instructions record) (Libro de órdenes y asistencias, technical instructions book)
A document in which the technical direction team records instructions and observations relating to construction progress. It tracks technical decisions and relevant actions. In a claim, it helps reconstruct events but must be compared with other records and completed work to assess compliance and consequences.Related terms: Dirección facultativa (technical direction team), Proyecto de ejecución (detailed construction design)
Libro del edificio (building documentation file) (Libro del edificio, building book)
The documentation for the completed building that must be delivered to users under the applicable regulations. It includes information relevant to use and maintenance. For a new home, it identifies construction parties, characteristics and instructions, supporting damage investigation without replacing checks of actual condition.Related terms: Use and maintenance manual, Acta de recepción de la obra (formal works acceptance record)Standard or law: Ley 38/1999, de Ordenación de la Edificación, art. 7
Licencia de obras (building works permit) (Licencia de obras, municipal works licence)
A municipal administrative authorisation for particular construction activities under the applicable planning regime. Need and procedure depend on the intervention and location. It differs from other legally prescribed forms of control, and granting it does not guarantee that every completed task is free from defects.Related terms: Planning framework, Disciplina urbanística (planning enforcement)
Licencia de primera ocupación (first occupation authorisation) (Licencia de primera ocupación, first occupation licence)
A municipal authorisation associated with a building's first use in regulated circumstances. The procedure may vary under regional and local legislation, including substitute mechanisms where applicable. A purchase checks the relevant authorisation without confusing it with an exhaustive inspection guaranteeing freedom from construction defects.Related terms: Licencia de obras (building works permit), Disciplina urbanística (planning enforcement)
Snagging list (Lista de repasos, snag list, defects list)
A list of issues or outstanding work observed during a handover or completion inspection. It may include finishes, operation and incomplete documentation. Usefulness depends on clear location and description; it differs from a report analysing causes or formal acceptance reservations between developer and contractor.Related terms: Memoria de calidades (materials and finishes specification), Expert report
Use and maintenance manual (Manual de uso y mantenimiento, building maintenance instructions)
A document giving instructions for using and maintaining a building and its installations according to their intended characteristics. It helps schedule tasks and avoid incompatible uses. Claims compare actual and required maintenance without automatically attributing every instance of damage to users merely because instructions exist.Related terms: Libro del edificio (building documentation file), Contractual liability
Memoria de calidades (materials and finishes specification) (Memoria de calidades, quality specification)
A document describing the materials, equipment and finishes planned for a home. Alongside the contract and other documentation, it allows the offer to be compared with delivery. Differences must be assessed against its contents and demonstrated equivalence, rather than accepting any substitution merely described as similar quality.Related terms: Proyecto de ejecución (detailed construction design), Breach of contract
Quality control plan (Plan de control de calidad, construction quality inspection plan)
A document or programme organising checks of products, construction and completed works to verify design and regulatory requirements. Contents depend on the work. Investigation reviews actual checks and results, because possessing a plan does not establish that every planned verification was properly undertaken.Related terms: Standardised test, Director de ejecución de la obra (execution director)
Developer (promotor) (Promotor, construction developer)
An individual or legal entity deciding, initiating, planning and financing works for themselves or later transfer. They assume specific obligations within the building process. Identification matters when studying documentation and responsibilities, without confusing their role with that of the contractor or technical direction team.Related terms: Building contractor, Ley de Ordenación de la Edificación (Spanish building law)Standard or law: Ley 38/1999, de Ordenación de la Edificación, art. 9
Proyectista (design author) (Proyectista, building designer)
The party commissioned by the developer to prepare the design under the applicable regulations and specified conditions. Participation requires the authorisation demanded for each task. Claims distinguish a possible design defect from construction departing from the design or alterations carried out afterwards.Related terms: Proyecto básico (outline building design), Proyecto de ejecución (detailed construction design)Standard or law: Ley 38/1999, de Ordenación de la Edificación, art. 10
Proyecto básico (outline building design) (Proyecto básico, basic project documentation)
A document defining the general characteristics of works and justifying conditions needed for particular procedures. Its contents do not, by themselves, allow every construction task to be undertaken. A buyer should also consult the detailed construction design and documentation of approved changes when understanding the intended solution.Related terms: Proyecto de ejecución (detailed construction design), Licencia de obras (building works permit)
Proyecto de ejecución (detailed construction design) (Proyecto de ejecución, execution project)
A document technically developing and detailing works for construction, with the information and details required in the particular case. It includes solutions needing coordination between disciplines. Inspection compares it with the building, distinguishing justified alterations from differences affecting performance, specified quality or regulatory compliance.Related terms: Proyecto básico (outline building design), Memoria de calidades (materials and finishes specification)
Recepción con reservas (acceptance with reservations) (Recepción con reservas, qualified acceptance of works)
Acceptance of construction works recording specific deficiencies still requiring correction and a period for doing so. It affects documentation and responsibilities under the law. Each reservation and its resolution must be identified, rather than confusing formal acceptance with an informal defect list submitted by a buyer.Related terms: Acta de recepción de la obra (formal works acceptance record), Subsanación de reservas (remedying acceptance reservations)Standard or law: Ley 38/1999, de Ordenación de la Edificación, art. 6
Subsanación de reservas (remedying acceptance reservations) (Subsanación de reservas, rectification of recorded reservations)
Correction of deficiencies expressly recorded when works were accepted with reservations. It must be documented under the applicable procedure because it matters for certain liability-period calculations. Simply stating that work has been repaired establishes neither its effectiveness nor proper resolution of each recorded issue.Related terms: Recepción con reservas (acceptance with reservations), Plazo de garantía (guarantee period)Standard or law: Ley 38/1999, de Ordenación de la Edificación, art. 6
Other glossary categories
Floors, tiles and finishes
Windows, glazing and locks
Heating, cooling, ventilation and energy efficiency
Buying, land registry and notary
Housing law and legal terms
Electrical installations and telecommunications
Facades, roofs and terraces
Structure and foundations
Plumbing, drainage and gas
Damp and leaks
Technical regulations and codes
Building defects and deterioration
Expert reports and court procedure
Insurance, claims and damage assessment (IRD)
Property valuation and planning
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