What an expert report must contain under the LEC
A report is not worth its length, but its traceability: that each conclusion can be followed from the data to the standard applied.
A construction expert report is not measured by its length, but by its traceability: that each conclusion can be followed from the data to the standard applied. The LEC (arts. 335 ff.) does not impose a rigid format, but practice has consolidated the contents that make a report sound.
Object and methodology
The report must precisely define what it is asked and what method was used to answer: visual inspection, tests, measurements, modelling. Methodology is the first thing a counter-report will examine, so it must be explicit and reproducible.
Data, analysis and standards
The data gathered on site (cracks, damp, deformations) are documented with photographs and references. The analysis interprets them in light of the applicable standard —CTE, EHE-08, LOE— without logical leaps. Economic quantification is justified with measurements and prices.
Conclusions and ratification
The conclusions answer, one by one, the questions posed, with the degree of certainty the data allow. The expert must be able to ratify the report and defend it under cross-examination.
Frequently asked questions
Is a specific format compulsory?
No. The LEC does not require it, but an orderly report is harder to rebut.
What distinguishes a good report from a weak one?
The coherence between data and conclusions and the correctness of the regulatory references.
Does it include the repair valuation?
Usually yes, when the scope of the commission requires it.
