The -phase of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is well known for its piezoelectric properties. PVDF films have been developed using solvent cast method. The films thus produced are in -phase. The -phase is transformed to piezoelectric -phase when the film is hot-stretched with various different stretching factors at various different temperatures. The films are then characterized in terms of their mechanical properties and surface morphological changes during the transformation from - to -phases by using X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimeter, Raman spectra, Infrared spectra, tensile testing, and scanning electron microscopy. The films showed increased crystallinity with stretching at temperature up to 80 degrees C. The optimum conditions to achieve -phase have been discussed in detail. The fabricated PVDF sensors have been tested for free vibration and impact on plate structure, and its response is compared with conventional piezoelectric wafer type sensor. The resonant and antiresonant peaks in the frequency response of PVDF sensor match well with that of lead zirconate titanate wafer sensors. Effective piezoelectric properties and the variations in the frequency response spectra due to free vibration and impact loading conditions are reported. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2013. (c) 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers