Final Acceptance and Final Payment in Epoxy Application

Final acceptance is the moment the owner signs to confirm the works are complete under the contract — and it is also the moment tied to the final payment instalment. This article covers that pair: what to accept, what the acceptance record must contain, how outstanding items are handled, and only then full payment. Its angle differs from Epoxy floor acceptance: which criteria? — that article answers “what are the acceptance criteria”, while this one answers “how does final acceptance proceed, and when is the final instalment paid”. It also differs from staged payments by execution milestone: here only the final milestone is discussed, after overall acceptance and handover.

The principle throughout: the final instalment is paid after the acceptance record is signed, not before acceptance is signed. Any amount withheld for outstanding items — if any — must follow the agreement already recorded in the contract, not be set unilaterally at acceptance. This article records no withholding level, no withholding period and no Kadier payment figure, because those contents belong to each project’s contract. Specific figures are per the quotation / contract for each project.

How final acceptance differs from partial acceptance

Partial acceptance checks each coat, each zone or each phase while work is under way, to catch defects early while repair is still confined. Final acceptance checks the whole completed works against the scope, quantities and criteria recorded in the contract, and is the basis for handover into use. A zone already accepted in part may still develop outstanding items at overall acceptance — for example colour deviation at a zone boundary, or damage arising while awaiting handover — so overall acceptance cannot be replaced by adding up the partial records.

Importantly, final acceptance criteria must not be newly invented at acceptance. The criteria must be those recorded in the contract and in the TDS of the exact product code before work started. “Looks good to the naked eye” is not an acceptance criterion, and impressions cannot replace the agreed inspection methods.

Four-group checklist at final acceptance

1. Quantities

Re-measure the applied area using exactly the measurement method agreed in the contract: which floor plan is used, how corners, columns, wall bases and technical areas are counted, and whether rework caused by application defects is charged extra. The accepted quantity is the re-measured quantity, not the area on the original drawing if the actual work changed and the change was confirmed by a written record.

2. Surface quality

Check the appearance of the whole floor, thickness where measuring equipment is available, adhesion where testing was agreed, and any system-specific requirements if the contract records them — for example anti-static requirements for the StatGuard system. Each inspection item should record the method, the location and the result, rather than only a generic “pass” or “fail”.

3. Documentation

Reconcile the accompanying documents: the TDS and SDS of the exact product codes, batch CO/CQ documents if the contract requires them, the execution log, partial acceptance records and any scope-change records if any. Missing documents are not only an administrative fault — for an audited project or a project with a foreign owner, missing documents can delay the whole final payment.

4. Outstanding items

Prepare a complete list of outstanding items: location, defect description, severity of impact and the rectification deadline as agreed. Outstanding items must be classified — items that must be fixed before handover into use, and items that can be fixed after handover while the unaffected area is put into use. That classification decides which part of the payment is held until rectification is complete.

What an acceptance record must contain

• Scope of acceptance: the whole works or each zone, with the floor plan and the re-measured area.
• Criteria applied: the exact criteria from the contract and the TDS, with no criteria newly arising at acceptance.
• Inspection result for each item, with method and inspection location.
• List of outstanding items, classification and rectification deadline as agreed.
• Acceptance conclusion: full acceptance, acceptance with outstanding items, or not yet accepted — and the conditions for moving to the next state.
• Signatures of the parties, the acceptance date and the list of accompanying documents.

A record that only states “accepted, agreed to pay” without the four groups above is a weak record: when a dispute arises after handover, the parties will have no basis to check which items were inspected, which were not, and which outstanding items were whose responsibility.

How outstanding items are handled before paying in full

The correct sequence is: list the outstanding items, agree the rectification plan and deadline, carry out the rectification, re-inspect exactly the outstanding items, and only then release the payment tied to the rectified outstanding items. The final instalment should not be paid in full while outstanding items have not been re-inspected, and the whole final instalment should not be held indefinitely because of one small outstanding item with a clear rectification plan — both extremes cause disputes. The balance lies in the contract: which part is held, held until when, and what the release conditions are — all recorded in advance, not agreed verbally at acceptance.

When an acceptance dispute arises, the first task is to preserve evidence: photos of the defect location with reference markers, measurement results, inspection records and reconciliation against the contract and the TDS. Do not repair on your own before preparing a record and photographing the evidence, because after repair it is hard for the parties to determine whether the original defect was caused by application, materials or use.

Frequently asked questions

Can final acceptance be signed first and inspection done afterwards?

It should not be. The signature on an acceptance record confirms the works are complete under the contract and is the basis for final payment. Signing first and inspecting afterwards reverses that sequence and removes the basis when outstanding items arise.

Can a small outstanding item still be handed over for use?

It depends on the classification of the outstanding item in the record and the parties’ agreement. An outstanding item that does not affect use and safety may be handed over with a rectification deadline; an outstanding item affecting surface quality, thickness or a system-specific requirement needs rectification before the affected area is handed over.

When does the warranty start?

Under the warranty clause in the signed contract, usually tied to the handover time after acceptance. This article records no Kadier warranty period or scope; all warranty contents must be checked against the project’s contract.

What documents must accompany the final payment?

The signed acceptance record, the re-measured quantity table, the invoice and any documents agreed in the contract. If the contract requires batch quality documents, those must also be complete before the final instalment is released.

Before work starts, ask to see a sample acceptance record in advance so you know which criteria will apply at handover, via the quotation page or the contact page. Direct contact: Hotline/Zalo 0899355489, WeChat wxid_95o54joujyrr12.

Illustration: a person signing a document — a general illustration of signing a record, not a real Kadier record. Photo: Alena Darmel / Pexels.