Defects liability period (DLP) meaning

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z D&B See Design and build beneath. DBO See Design, build and operate beneath. Date for completion/completion date Means the date stated therein in the building contract (typically within the contract particulars/contract data) by which the contractor must finish the works—ie the point by which practical completion is to be achieved (see Practice Note: What is practical completion?). This completion date may change over the course of the project, for instance where the contractor receives an extension of time. Should the works not be completed by the completion date, the contractor is liable to the employer for liquidated damages (where the contract so provides) or, failing that, general damages for delay in completion (arising from breach of contract thereunder). Date for possession The date set out in the building contract on which the employer gives...

On construction projects, flaws commonly emerge within the works. Under the majority of building contracts, the contractor must return to site to make good any defects that arise or are identified within a set period after practical completion of the works, and to do so on site. In the industry, this window is usually called the defects liability period (DLP), though JCT contracts call it the rectification period, NEC uses the term defects date, and FIDIC refers to the defects notification period. What is a defect? As the DLP deals with remedying ‘defects’, it is important to consider the scope of that term and to understand what it is taken to cover. ‘Defect’ is not a technical term of art and there is no single ‘standard’ definition of what amounts to a defect in building works. In general terms, however, a defect is work that does not achieve the standard or a specification required by the building contract. This may result from faults in workmanship, materials or design,...