For general contractors and commercial builders
Construction Company Testimonials at Handover
A commercial project ends in a handover meeting full of keys, manuals and snag lists. The client is pleased and busy moving in. The testimonial that wins your next tender comes later, once the building has been used and the snags are closed. Enter the handover date and get a plan for who to ask and when.
- Asks after snagging, not at the keys meeting
- Client, architect and end user asked separately
- Named quotes cleared with the client first
The problem, solved
Why commercial build testimonials are hard to get, and how StoryProof helps
Situation 1 of 5
We ask at the keys meeting
At handover the client is reading the snag list and planning the move. A request then gets a reply about the snags, or no reply.
How StoryProof solves it
Add the client team as contacts at handover and send the request by email once the defects are closed, on the date the plan below gives.
Situation 2 of 5
Only the client project manager gets asked
The architect saw how you handled design changes; the facilities manager sees how the building works. Their views win different tenders.
How StoryProof solves it
Send each party the same collection link with its own question, and tag the answer by role so you can find the architect’s view later.
Situation 3 of 5
Nobody will write a paragraph
Site directors and client estates leads are not writers. Ask for text and you get one line, or nothing.
How StoryProof solves it
The same link lets them record a short video walking through the finished space, in the browser, with no app. Recording length depends on your plan.
Situation 4 of 5
Requests die in a busy inbox
Corporate clients receive dozens of contractor emails a week. One request sinks quickly.
How StoryProof solves it
From Pro, reminders go out after three days and again four days later, and stop when the person replies.
Situation 5 of 5
The client’s comms team has not cleared it
A named quote from a corporate client often needs their marketing or legal team’s approval before you can use it in a bid.
How StoryProof solves it
Nothing is public until you approve it, so hold the testimonial in your queue until the client confirms the attribution in writing.
Handover planner
Plan the asks from practical completion
Enter the handover date. The plan waits out the worst of snagging, then asks each party about the part of the project they saw.
Day 0
Handover: note the advocates
Record who praised the team during the project: client lead, architect, site neighbours. Ask none of them yet.
Day +28
Snags closed? Check first
Confirm with your project manager that open defects are closed or agreed. If not, move every date below back.
Day +35
Ask the client project lead
Ask about programme, communication and how changes were handled. These answers serve the next tender’s quality section.
Day +42
Ask the design team
Architect or engineer: how did the contractor work with the design, and solve problems on site?
Day +120
Ask the occupier
After a few months of use, ask the facilities or office manager how the building works day to day. Invite a short walk through video.
Day +150
Clear attribution
Send each quote back to the client for written approval of the name, title and project name before it goes into bids.
Dates are calculated in your browser from the date you enter. Nothing is saved.
Which voice wins which part of a bid
Tenders ask different questions. Match the testimonial to the section it supports.
In StoryProof
Set it up for each project
- You will need
- The handover date and contacts for the client, design team and occupier
- The client’s rules on using their name, if they have any
- 1
Add the project contacts at handover
Add each person as a contact, grouped by project, so the requests go out on the planned dates.
- 2
Send each request on its date
StoryProof emails the link. On a plan with automations, reminders follow without anyone chasing.
- 3
Approve once the client signs off
Keep each testimonial in the queue until the attribution is cleared, then approve and tag it by sector, project type and role.
- 4
Show the right projects on each sector page
Choose which testimonials appear on your education, healthcare or industrial pages.
What happens next: Keep the cleared quotes with the project record. Bid writers need the exact approved wording, not a version from memory.
Before you start
What stays with your team
What this does not cover, and what to check on your side. Better to know now than after launch.
- 01
No project system link
StoryProof does not read handover dates or defects from your project software. You enter the date and add contacts.
- 02
Site photos are not part of the link
The collection link takes video, written and audio testimonials. Your project photography stays in your own case study pages.
- 03
Client contracts may restrict publicity
Some construction contracts limit what a contractor may say about the project. Check yours before publishing.
- 04
Disputed projects need a pause
If a final account or defects claim is in dispute, do not send the plan. Wait until it is settled.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Short answers to what usually comes up next.
How long after handover should a contractor ask for a testimonial?
Once the snags are closed, usually a month or so after handover. Come back to the occupier after a few months of use for the longer view.
Can we use a testimonial in a tender without naming the client?
Yes, with a description such as a facilities director at a regional college, as long as the client agrees to that description.
Should the site manager ask, or business development?
The site manager knows the people; business development sends the request. A short note from the site manager first makes the email expected.
What if the client says yes but their legal team says no?
Keep the testimonial unpublished and ask whether an anonymised version would be acceptable. Never publish a name the client has withdrawn.
Still have a question? Ask the StoryProof team or book a demo.
Start the plan at your next handover
Set up the form now, so the requests are ready when the snags are closed. No credit card needed to start.
Last updated 2026-11-06.