PROFESSIONAL GUIDE · SPAIN

Execution supervision in Spain: control, check and record.

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In brief

The focus is how the works are executed: product reception, testing, setting out, materials and correct installation of building elements. Records connect those checks to owners, evidence and follow-up.

What is dirección de ejecución de obra?

Dirección de ejecución de obra directs material execution and checks the construction and built quality both qualitatively and quantitatively. The director de la ejecución belongs to the professional supervision team. Article 13 of Spain’s LOE defines the duties for works within its scope.

Duties and responsibilities

Check product reception

Verify reception of construction products and order the necessary tests. Keep batch references, received documentation and results linked to the relevant work sections.

Direct material execution

Check setting out, materials, execution and installation of elements and services against the design and director de obra’s instructions. Record the actual scope of each check.

Record instructions and follow-up

Enter necessary instructions in the Libro de Órdenes y Asistencias. Track issues with location, evidence and verified status; a photo or contractor’s message alone does not verify an item.

Contribute to project records

Sign the setting-out or start record and completion certificate; prepare and sign interim certificates and the final account as specified by the LOE. Contribute control results to the as-built documentation.

Site supervision and execution supervision: differences

Focus

Site supervisionDevelopment of the works in accordance with the design.

Execution supervisionMaterial execution and qualitative and quantitative control.

Checks

Site supervisionSetting out and suitability of foundations and structure for the ground.

Execution supervisionSetting out, materials, execution and element placement.

Records

Site supervisionInstructions, design changes and as-built documentation.

Execution supervisionInstructions, product controls, tests and results.

Relationship

Site supervisionDuties under LOE article 12.

Execution supervisionDuties under article 13, coordinated with the director de obra.

What to check and document on each visit

  • Review work in progress and the controls planned for that stage.
  • Link received products, batches, documents and tests to their use location.
  • Identify the drawing and revision used when checking axes, levels or element placement.
  • Photograph relevant elements before they are concealed, without replacing necessary testing.
  • Distinguish a reported issue, a reported fix and an actually verified fix.
  • Update owners, deadlines and item history, then share reviewed minutes.

Example: from a requested test to a traceable result

When requesting a concrete test, identify the element, date and sample reference. Record the request, then the received result and competent assessment. Do not mark a control compliant simply because the laboratory has announced that a report will be sent.

Which record to use at each project stage

Before startingSetting-out record: references, checks and starting conditions.
During site visitsVisit minutes: instructions, actions, owners and deadlines.
To explain observationsPhoto report: ordered images, location and context.
When checking finishesSnagging record: an identifier and verified status for each issue.
When closing documentationCloseout record: deliveries and open items, not a substitute for certificates or reception.

The PDF is a site visit record.

Frequently asked questions

How does execution supervision differ from dirección de obra?
Dirección de obra directs development in accordance with the design in its technical, aesthetic, planning and environmental aspects. Execution supervision directs material execution and controls quality and quantity. Both belong to the professional supervision team, with distinct duties under LOE articles 12 and 13.
Must execution supervision always be performed by an arquitecto técnico?
The qualification depends on the case. Article 13.2.a of the LOE requires an arquitecto técnico for uses in group a) of article 2.1 and certain group b) cases. For other cases, check the qualifications and powers allowed by the law.
Who signs a setting-out record in Spanish building works?
LOE articles 11, 12 and 13 assign signing duties for the setting-out or start record to the contractor, director de obra and director de la ejecución. Also check the contract and the specific procedure.
Is a snagging record a completion certificate?
No. A snagging record lists issues and their status. The completion certificate and reception record have their own purposes and requirements; a punch list does not replace them.

Official sources

Informational guide to building works in Spain covered by the LOE. Check the appointment, professional qualifications and rules applying to your case. This is not a substitute for professional advice.

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