ABSTRACT
Contract administration includes the issue of different kinds of certificate. People tend to think of interim and final payment certificates but there are certificates of practical completion, making good and non-completion. Issues leading to disputes involve the attempted withdrawal and replacement of certificates, over or under certification and whether a certificate can indicate a negative sum. The timing and format are important aspects which tend to be forgotten. Failure to certify can have serious consequences. Related topics include Pay Less Notices, whether final accounts must be agreed and the position of retention. Under most building contracts, the only person authorised to issue certificates is the architect or other contract administrator. Attempts by the employer or project manager to issue certificates are doomed to failure.
