In New Zealand residential delivery, projects don’t truly “finish” when the last trade leaves site — they finish when documentation, inspections, and sign-offs line up cleanly for Code Compliance Certificate (CCC) and lender drawdowns. Most close-out stress comes from missing evidence, late producer statements, and untracked changes that the council or inspector can’t verify. This article sets out a practical close-out system that protects time, cashflow, and completion certainty.