The distinction in one sentence
The contingency-fund study answers the question "how much should your syndicate set aside each year to maintain the building over 25 years?" The maintenance logbook answers the question "what to do, when, and who does it?"
Contingency-fund study
- Format
- PDF report signed by an engineer
- Horizon
- 25 years minimum
- Audience
- Board and assembly of co-owners
- Refresh
- Every 5 years by a professional
- CcQ article
- 1071 al. 2
Maintenance logbook
- Format
- Living Excel workbook
- Horizon
- Annual calendar plus 25-year plan
- Audience
- Board on a day-to-day basis
- Refresh
- Yearly by the board, professionally every 5 years
- CcQ article
- 1070.2
What's inside each one
| Content | Fund study | Logbook |
|---|---|---|
| Building summary | ✓ | ✓ |
| Component inventory (UniFormat II) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Current condition and remaining useful life | ✓ | ✓ |
| 25-year financial projection | ✓ | — |
| Recommended contribution scenarios | ✓ | — |
| Annual preventive maintenance calendar | — | ✓ |
| Intervention log to fill in | — | ✓ |
| Professional signature | ✓ | ✓ |
Why both are produced together
The study and the logbook share a common foundation: the inventory of building components and the assessment of their condition. This inspection-and-analysis work, which represents most of the effort, feeds directly into both documents. That's why every serious provider sells them as a combined package — it would be redundant and more expensive to commission them separately.
How you'll use each one
The contingency-fund study comes off the shelf at most twice a year: when preparing the annual budget to decide on contribution levels, and at the assembly to justify those levels to owners. The maintenance logbook comes out monthly — the board consults it to plan recurring preventive tasks (cleaning gutters, inspecting balconies, checking fire extinguishers) and logs every intervention as it happens.
In practice. The study is a financial document that sits on the shelf between updates. The logbook is a living operational tool that must be kept current annually, or it loses its value. Loi 16 requires both — but the logbook is the one that demands discipline.
How long does it take?
From inspection day to delivery of both documents, expect 2 to 8 months depending on the provider. At CoPro16, we deliver in 2 to 6 weeks thanks to a heavily standardized production process.
What about the sale attestation?
The sale attestation by the syndicate is a third deliverable, separate from the study and logbook. It's produced for each transaction (not at fixed intervals) and summarizes the financial and material state of the co-ownership for the buyer. It often draws on data from the maintenance logbook and the most recent study. See our complete Loi 16 guide for more.