DO

DO (Owner’s Structural Damage Insurance): what the project manager needs to know about this policy to avoid letting a project start without the client’s mandatory protection

“Supply the MOE with proof of DO insurance” — REMINDER 02 to the client. If this document isn’t provided before works actually start, the architect who lets the site start anyway takes on personal liability. The DO isn’t an end-of-project formality: it must be taken out before the first stone is laid.

1. Operational definition + common mistake

Assurance Dommages-Ouvrage (DO, “Owner’s Structural Damage Insurance”) is mandatory insurance taken out by the client before the site opens, allowing them to be compensated quickly for damage covered by the builders’ ten-year structural warranty (garantie décennale) — without having to prove fault. The DO insurer pre-finances the repairs, then seeks reimbursement from whoever is liable. It’s required under Article L242-1 of the French Insurance Code.

In this CR, the architect reminds the private client twice (REMINDER 02) that they must supply proof of DO insurance. Without a DO policy in place before the site opens, the client has no protection in the event of a structural claim, and the architect who let the site start can be held liable for failing to check this precondition.

Many assume the DO is insurance taken out by the architect or the contractor — in reality, it’s an obligation of the client, distinct from the builders’ ten-year liability. The client takes out the DO before works start; the builders take out their own ten-year liability insurance before working.

2. Where it appears

In a site meeting report — in an “Administrative item” section or a section dedicated to the client, requesting proof of coverage before start-up. In this CR:

“Supply the MOE with proof of DO insurance” — Status: REMINDER 02 — Normal

The “REMINDER 02” note means this request has already been made at two previous meetings with no response from the client.

3. How to read this entry in the CR

If you read “Supply proof of DO insurance” at the first CR → immediately trigger an ACTION or a PM with a short deadline. Don’t let this point drift to REMINDER 02.

If you read “REMINDER 02” on the DO → the site has started or is about to start with no proof of coverage. Notify the client in writing that the absence of DO insurance leaves them exposed to non-compensation in the event of a claim.

If the proof is never provided → log every follow-up in the CR with the REMINDER number. This record proves the architect fulfilled their duty to inform and advise.

4. Who does what

5. What this changes in practice

A project manager who requires and obtains proof of DO insurance before start-up protects their client and fulfills their duty to advise. A project manager who lets a site start with no proof of DO insurance risks being held liable in the event of a structural claim.

Failure scenario: the site starts with no DO policy in place. Two years after handover, a structural defect appears. The client has no DO insurance to pre-finance the repairs and sues the architect for failing to verify the DO before start-up.

6. Example of real wording

“Supply the MOE with proof of DO insurance” — Status: REMINDER 02 — Normal

7. Points of caution

• DO insurance is not the same as ten-year builders’ liability: the ten-year liability is taken out by the builders; the DO is taken out by the client.

• A DO policy taken out after the site starts may be void or of reduced value: it must be in place before the DOC.

• A private client is often less familiar with this obligation: the architect’s duty to advise is all the stronger.

• Proof of coverage isn’t the same as the full insurance policy.

• If the property is sold within 10 years of handover, the buyer benefits from the DO: its absence weakens the property’s value.

8. Not to be confused with

9. Related terms

Same phase (preparation): DOC · DOE · Handover of works · Ten-year builders’ liability

Same actor (MOE/client): Administrative item · Proof of insurance · Carte BTP