The guide
Common mistakes in repair completion reports
Eight ways a repair completion report ends up meaning less than it says. Each one is easy to avoid once it has a name.
1. Closed before the work was finished
The contractor's "done" closes the ticket automatically, while parts are still on order or a second visit is booked. Close the record when the work is finished, or keep it open with an open item that has an owner and a date.
2. No reply treated as yes
The resident was sent a message and did not answer, and the job shows as confirmed. Silence is not a confirmation. Write "no reply", with the date you asked, and close for that reason if you have to.
3. A temporary fix closed as done
A leak stopped with a clamp, a breaker reset, a part bypassed. These are often the right first step, but they are not the repair. Record them as a temporary fix and add what is left.
4. The symptom replaced by the diagnosis
The record says "replaced capacitor" and nobody remembers that the resident reported a burning smell. Keep the reporter's words; the cause goes in the contractor's statement.
5. "Checked" without saying how
"Checked OK" could mean a full test or a glance from the door. Say who checked, how, what they found, and what they did not cover.
6. A photo taken as proof of quality
A photo of a new pipe joint shows a new pipe joint. It does not show that the joint holds, or that it was the right fix. Note what each photo shows, and never refuse a report just because it has none.
7. Earlier entries overwritten
The first visit's notes are edited when the second visit finds something else, and the history disappears. Add new entries. If a closed record reopens, keep the earlier closure as it was.
8. Asking a resident about a common area
Nobody lives in the plant room. For common areas, the resident's answer is "not applicable", and the check matters more.
The builder's check looks for most of these as you type: a closure that says "confirmed" while the resident never answered, a temporary fix with nothing left open, a check with no result.