Making good
The term ‘making good’ or ‘to make good’ is used in construction to refer to the process of repairing or bringing something up to a finished standard, or restoring it to its previous condition.
It is a term which is often used in relation to defects which must be ‘made good’ through remedial works before a specified date after practical completion has been certified. When the contract administrator considers that all defects been made good they issue a certificate of making good. This has the effect of releasing the remainder of any retention and brings about issuing of the final certificate.
For more information, see Certificate of making good.
The term can also be included as a standard clause in the transfer of freehold or leasehold property, where the departing owner or tenant covenants to make good any damage.
This is often described as ‘make good any damage caused by the removal of items’. This could be interpreted as meaning that any holes in walls left by picture hooks, curtain rails, nails, and so on, should be filled in and repainted, or it can be interpreted as meaning any damage that is caused while moving items out of the property should be repaired (e.g. paintwork scraped when moving furniture).
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles
Check out some of the best features and news from Designing Buildings as well as key stories from around the web.
New and updated CLC building safety guidance.
New UK National Buildings Database.
Building Safety Wiki Interviews
Chief executive of the British Woodworking Federation.
Planning condition discharge in England and Wales
A brief explanation from a building compliance expert, with further links.
Overheating guidance and tools for building designers
Guidance for dealing with element of building fabric control that have increasing importance.
Shading for housing, a design guide
From the Good Homes Alliance and British Blind and Shutter Association.
UK Standard Skills Classification (SSC)
A shared framework for describing skills needs.
Social media ban consultation comes to close
CIOB urges UK Government to consider social media’s role in careers guidance in ban debate.
The latest of eight Skills England apprenticeship units
The addition of battery manufacturing welcomed by ECA with a warning about the risks of fast-tracked apprenticeship units.
Building Control Independent Panel final report
A precis of a key report led by Dame Hackitt with full recommendations and link to the government response.
Building Safety recap April, 2026
A short and longer run-through of the month, with links to further information and sources.