Past building work, incomplete post-intervention file: how do you rebuild your house records?

Is your post-intervention file missing or incomplete? Trace the work, look for copies and keep the gaps visible. Then have the missing information assessed by a competent professional. Gathering records helps rebuild the file, but does not guarantee its completeness or the house's compliance. ## What is the post-intervention file for? The post-intervention file, known as the DIU in French, brings together information useful for health and safety during future work: structure, concealed services, materials and precautions. Its contents depend on the project and the applicable rules. Articles 34 to 36 and Annex I, Part C, of the [Royal Decree of 25 January 2001, in its consolidated version](https://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/eli/arrete/2001/01/25/2001012050/justel) govern this obligation. This federal framework also applies to houses in the Province of Liège and elsewhere in Wallonia. The post-intervention file is not a general certificate of compliance and replaces neither the EPB certificate nor planning information. ## Does it apply to an old house? Look at the work, not just the year of construction. The entry into force on 1 May 2001, provided for by Article 71 of the decree, is a reference point for examining subsequent projects. It does not create a retrospective obligation to reconstruct all earlier work. Coordination and the post-intervention file are two separate obligations. The file does not only concern projects involving several contractors. Under the single-contractor rules, Article 43 provides for it to be prepared by the client commissioning the work, or by a third party they appoint. The client also ensures that it is adapted to design changes made during construction. The contractor therefore does not always have to prepare it personally. Where the history combines DIY work and contractors, have the applicable rules clarified. ## How can you find documents without inventing the history? Start with the most recent documented work, then work backwards. Our method is to create a dated index for each intervention: - the part of the house and the work concerned; - the proven date, or the presumed period clearly identified as such; - the parties involved and their known roles; - the documents received, their provenance and the missing information. First look for the file received after the work or when you bought the house. Then ask the coordinator for a copy of the post-intervention file, the architect for available plans, the contractors for instructions, references and diagrams, and the previous owner for their records. Specify the house, period and work. Availability depends on the records retained. [Fednot's advice on the post-intervention file](https://www.notaire.be/actualites/tenir-jour-le-dossier-dintervention-ulterieure-de-votre-habitation-rien-de-plus-simple-avec-izimi) mentions plans, photographs, invoices and instructions among other documents. Keep originals and successive versions. An invoice describes the services listed, not necessarily every material. A design drawing does not establish what was finally built. A photograph shows an area at one moment, not the current condition of the entire roof. A recollection remains a lead, never a certified date. ## What should you do when the records are not enough? Do not draw an unknown pipe route by inference on a plan then presented as accurate. Ask the coordinator or a competent technical professional to assess the gaps and possible checks. Have their scope, limitations and cost specified in a quotation before they intervene. Elements that have become inaccessible may prevent a complete inspection. Before a sale, tell the notary about the state of the post-intervention file early. Article 48 of the decree provides for its handover to the new owner and for that handover to be recorded in the deed. For an unfinished project, it provides for an undertaking to hand it over once provisional acceptance or, failing that, acceptance has taken place. The absence of the file does not automatically establish that a sale is possible or impossible. The notary examines the transfer without certifying the file's technical completeness. ## How can you keep the file useful after this search? Update the index after each intervention with new documents and their provenance. Article 49 requires the client commissioning the work to make the relevant parts of the post-intervention file available to the coordinator or, failing that, the contractor involved in new work. The file is therefore useful before the next sale. If the search accompanies a planned sale, our [guide to valuing your house in Belgium](https://youhome.immo/en/journal/valuing-your-house-belgium/) explains how to assess the house's value. This approach does not replace technical assessment of the post-intervention file. ## What are the answers to frequently asked questions? ### Is an invoice enough to rebuild the post-intervention file? No. It can identify a contractor and services, but does not necessarily describe concealed elements or all useful precautions. Have the gaps assessed rather than declaring the file complete. ### Does a single contractor mean no post-intervention file is needed? No. Article 43 provides for a post-intervention file under the single-contractor rules. Have the project's framework and the responsible person identified, without confusing this obligation with coordination. ### Can you prepare a sale with an incomplete post-intervention file? Start the search and inform the notary without delay. The transfer and technical gaps must be examined separately. Organising the records alone does not guarantee that a sale is possible. Unsure whether to undertake further work or sell? [Request your valuation report](https://youhome.immo/en/valuation/request/) to put your property plans into perspective. Technical assessment of the post-intervention file remains the responsibility of the competent professional.