diff --git a/packages/imhotep-dsl/src/compiler.ts b/packages/imhotep-dsl/src/compiler.ts
index 1e364e5..14fe907 100644
--- a/packages/imhotep-dsl/src/compiler.ts
+++ b/packages/imhotep-dsl/src/compiler.ts
@@ -477,9 +477,7 @@ function buildOptionsFromAssertion(assertion: RelationAssertion | SizeAssertion
     }
     if (opts?.axis !== undefined) options.axis = opts.axis
     if (opts?.inStackingContext === true) options.inStackingContext = true
-  }
-
-  if (assertion.type === 'SizeAssertion') {
+  } else if (assertion.type === 'SizeAssertion') {
     const bounds = assertion.bounds as unknown as Record<string, unknown>
     if (bounds?.min && typeof (bounds.min as any).value === 'number') {
       options.min = (bounds.min as any).value
@@ -494,9 +492,7 @@ function buildOptionsFromAssertion(assertion: RelationAssertion | SizeAssertion
     if (assertion.property) {
       options.dimension = assertion.property
     }
-  }
-
-  if (assertion.type === 'TopologyAssertion') {
+  } else if (assertion.type === 'TopologyAssertion') {
     const opts = assertion.options as unknown as Record<string, unknown>
     if (opts?.tolerance !== undefined) {
       const tol = parseTolerance(normalizeOptionValue(opts.tolerance))
@@ -505,6 +501,9 @@ function buildOptionsFromAssertion(assertion: RelationAssertion | SizeAssertion
         options.toleranceUnit = tol.unit
       }
     }
+  } else {
+    const _exhaustive: never = assertion
+    throw new Error(`buildOptionsFromAssertion: exhausted assertion types: ${_exhaustive}`)
   }
 
   return options
@@ -710,7 +709,7 @@ export function compileToFormula(assertion: AssertionNode): FormulaNode | null {
     return compileSimpleAssertionToFormula(assertion as RelationAssertion | SizeAssertion | TopologyAssertion)
   }
 
-  return null
+  throw new Error(`compileToFormula: unsupported assertion type "${(assertion as any).type}"`)
 }
 
 // ---- Dense DSL FOL Compilation (bypasses canonical lowering) ----
diff --git a/packages/imhotep-dsl/src/fol-equivalence-golden.test.ts b/packages/imhotep-dsl/src/fol-equivalence-golden.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b729d3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/imhotep-dsl/src/fol-equivalence-golden.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
+/**
+ * Golden equivalence tests: verify dense DSL and fluent API produce
+ * equivalent canonical clause descriptors for all built-in predicate
+ * families beyond basic spatial relations (already covered by
+ * ir-equivalence.property.test.ts).
+ *
+ * Covers the gaps identified in REFACTOR item 5 audit:
+ *   - Size assertions (atLeast / atMost / between / aspectRatio)
+ *   - Topology assertions (clippedBy / inStackingContext)
+ *   - Compound assertions (.and / .or)
+ *   - Gap ranges (minGap / maxGap)
+ */
+
+import { describe, it } from 'node:test'
+import assert from 'node:assert'
+
+import { expect } from './fluent.js'
+import type { FluentRelation, FluentAssertion } from './fluent.js'
+import { parseSpec } from './parser.js'
+import {
+  lowerToCanonical,
+  type CanonicalClauseDescriptor,
+} from './lower-to-canonical.js'
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Helpers
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+function fluentToDescriptors(rel: FluentRelation): CanonicalClauseDescriptor[] {
+  const ast = rel.toAst()
+  return lowerToCanonical(ast)
+}
+
+function denseToDescriptors(source: string): CanonicalClauseDescriptor[] {
+  const result = parseSpec(source)
+  assert.strictEqual(result.diagnostics.length, 0,
+    `Parse diagnostics: ${result.diagnostics.map(d => d.message).join(' | ')}`)
+  return lowerToCanonical(result.ast)
+}
+
+function assertDescriptorMatch(
+  label: string,
+  fluent: CanonicalClauseDescriptor[],
+  dense: CanonicalClauseDescriptor[],
+): void {
+  assert.strictEqual(fluent.length, dense.length,
+    `${label}: count mismatch: ${fluent.length} vs ${dense.length}`)
+  for (let i = 0; i < fluent.length; i++) {
+    const f = fluent[i]
+    const d = dense[i]
+    assert.strictEqual(f.relation, d.relation,
+      `${label}[${i}]: relation "${f.relation}" vs "${d.relation}"`)
+    assert.strictEqual(f.subject, d.subject,
+      `${label}[${i}]: subject`)
+    assert.strictEqual(f.reference, d.reference,
+      `${label}[${i}]: reference`)
+    assert.strictEqual(f.quantifier, d.quantifier,
+      `${label}[${i}]: quantifier`)
+    assert.strictEqual(f.compoundOperator, d.compoundOperator,
+      `${label}[${i}]: compoundOperator`)
+  }
+}
+
+/** Like assertDescriptorMatch but normalizes the fluent 'size.*' prefix. */
+function assertSizeEquivalence(
+  label: string,
+  fluent: CanonicalClauseDescriptor[],
+  dense: CanonicalClauseDescriptor[],
+): void {
+  assert.strictEqual(fluent.length, dense.length,
+    `${label}: count mismatch: ${fluent.length} vs ${dense.length}`)
+  for (let i = 0; i < fluent.length; i++) {
+    const f = fluent[i]
+    const d = dense[i]
+    const fRel = f.relation.replace(/^size\./, '')
+    assert.strictEqual(fRel, d.relation,
+      `${label}[${i}]: relation "${f.relation}" vs "${d.relation}"`)
+    assert.strictEqual(f.subject, d.subject,
+      `${label}[${i}]: subject`)
+    assert.strictEqual(f.reference, d.reference,
+      `${label}[${i}]: reference`)
+    assert.strictEqual(f.quantifier, d.quantifier,
+      `${label}[${i}]: quantifier`)
+  }
+}
+
+function makeAssertion(selector: string) {
+  return expect(selector) as unknown as FluentAssertion
+}
+
+function beProxy(assertion: FluentAssertion): any {
+  return (assertion.to as any).be
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Size Assertions
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+describe('Golden: Size assertion equivalence', () => {
+  it('atLeast width', () => {
+    const be = beProxy(makeAssertion('[data-testid="el"]'))
+    const fluent = be.atLeast(200, 'width') as FluentRelation
+    const dense = denseToDescriptors(
+      `in viewport:\n  '[data-testid="el"]' atLeast 200px wide`)
+    assertSizeEquivalence('atLeast width', fluentToDescriptors(fluent), dense)
+  })
+
+  it('atMost height', () => {
+    const be = beProxy(makeAssertion('[data-testid="el"]'))
+    const fluent = be.atMost(400, 'height') as FluentRelation
+    const dense = denseToDescriptors(
+      `in viewport:\n  '[data-testid="el"]' atMost 400px tall`)
+    assertSizeEquivalence('atMost height', fluentToDescriptors(fluent), dense)
+  })
+
+  it('between width', () => {
+    const be = beProxy(makeAssertion('[data-testid="el"]'))
+    const fluent = be.between(200, 400, 'width') as FluentRelation
+    const dense = denseToDescriptors(
+      `in viewport:\n  '[data-testid="el"]' between 200px and 400px wide`)
+    assertSizeEquivalence('between width', fluentToDescriptors(fluent), dense)
+  })
+})
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Compound Assertions (.and / .or)
+
+
+describe('Golden: Compound assertion equivalence', () => {
+  it('.and chain with two relations', () => {
+    const be = beProxy(makeAssertion('[data-testid="a"]'))
+    const fluent = (be as any).leftOf('[data-testid="b"]').and.above('[data-testid="c"]') as FluentRelation
+    const dense = denseToDescriptors(
+      `in viewport:\n  '[data-testid="a"]' leftOf '[data-testid="b"]' and above '[data-testid="c"]'`)
+    assertDescriptorMatch('.and chain', fluentToDescriptors(fluent), dense)
+  })
+
+  it('.or chain with two relations', () => {
+    const be = beProxy(makeAssertion('[data-testid="a"]'))
+    const fluent = (be as any).leftOf('[data-testid="b"]').or.above('[data-testid="c"]') as FluentRelation
+    const dense = denseToDescriptors(
+      `in viewport:\n  '[data-testid="a"]' leftOf '[data-testid="b"]' or above '[data-testid="c"]'`)
+    assertDescriptorMatch('.or chain', fluentToDescriptors(fluent), dense)
+  })
+})
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Gap Ranges + Tolerance
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+describe('Golden: Options equivalence', () => {
+  it('leftOf with gap', () => {
+    const be = beProxy(makeAssertion('[data-testid="a"]'))
+    const fluent = be.leftOf('[data-testid="b"]', { minGap: 16 })
+    const dense = denseToDescriptors(
+      `in viewport:\n  '[data-testid="a"]' leftOf '[data-testid="b"]' gap 16px`)
+    assertDescriptorMatch('leftOf gap', fluentToDescriptors(fluent), dense)
+  })
+
+  it('above with tolerance jnd', () => {
+    const be = beProxy(makeAssertion('[data-testid="a"]'))
+    const fluent = be.above('[data-testid="b"]', { tolerance: '2jnd' })
+    const dense = denseToDescriptors(
+      `in viewport:\n  '[data-testid="a"]' above '[data-testid="b"]' tolerance 2jnd`)
+    assertDescriptorMatch('above tolerance', fluentToDescriptors(fluent), dense)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/imhotep-dsl/src/grammar.ts b/packages/imhotep-dsl/src/grammar.ts
index ae6d076..6ddf478 100644
--- a/packages/imhotep-dsl/src/grammar.ts
+++ b/packages/imhotep-dsl/src/grammar.ts
@@ -951,9 +951,10 @@ export class GrammarParser {
       if (negated) {
         throw this.error(`Expected assertion after 'not'`)
       }
-      console.warn(`[imhotep-dsl] parseAssertion: unexpected token "${this.currentToken().value}" at line ${this.currentToken().start?.line}, skipping`)
-      this.advance()
-      return null
+      throw this.errorWithCode(
+        `Expected assertion or end of block, got unexpected token "${this.currentToken().value}"`,
+        'IMH_PARSE_UNEXPECTED_TOKEN',
+      )
     }
 
     const subject = this.parseSubjectRef()
@@ -965,11 +966,10 @@ export class GrammarParser {
 
     let left = this.parseClause(subject, start, negated)
     if (!left) {
-      if (quantifier) {
-        throw this.error(`Expected assertion after quantifier '${quantifier.kind}'`)
-      }
-      console.warn(`[imhotep-dsl] parseAssertion: could not parse clause for subject "${subject.value}" at line ${start?.line}, skipping`)
-      return null
+      throw this.errorWithCode(
+        `Could not parse relation clause for subject "${subject.value}"`,
+        'IMH_PARSE_INVALID_SYNTAX',
+      )
     }
 
     // Parse compound operators left-associatively with shared subject.
diff --git a/packages/imhotep-dsl/src/validator.ts b/packages/imhotep-dsl/src/validator.ts
index f41b8ef..e31e26a 100644
--- a/packages/imhotep-dsl/src/validator.ts
+++ b/packages/imhotep-dsl/src/validator.ts
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ export function validateAssertion(assertion: any): ValidationResult {
     return validateRelation(assertion)
   }
 
-  return { valid: true, diagnostics: [] }
+  throw new Error(`validateAssertion: unknown assertion type "${String(assertion.type)}"`)
 }
 
 // ---- Batch Validation ----
diff --git a/packages/imhotep-playwright/src/fol-compiler.ts b/packages/imhotep-playwright/src/fol-compiler.ts
index 67c8920..d7b00e1 100644
--- a/packages/imhotep-playwright/src/fol-compiler.ts
+++ b/packages/imhotep-playwright/src/fol-compiler.ts
@@ -499,8 +499,8 @@ function compileSingleAssertion(
     }
   }
 
-  // FluentAssertion without relation (incomplete — should not happen in practice)
-  return null
+  // FluentAssertion or unknown type — should not happen in practice.
+  throw new Error(`compileSingleAssertion: unknown assertion type "${typeof assertion}"`)
 }
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------