Punch list template

A punch list template is a numbered list of the small things left to fix before a job is done: the chipped tile, the missing cover plate, the door that will not latch. Each item gets a location, a responsible trade, a due date, and a sign-off when it is complete. Use the free template below on your punch walk so every item is assigned before anyone leaves the room.

The punch list is where retainage lives or dies. Owners commonly hold final payment until punch items are closed, and a list that drags on for six weeks costs real money. Good punch list management (a tight list, assigned by trade, checked by someone other than the trade) is how you shorten that tail.

What the punch list is for

The punch list is usually built around substantial completion, when the space can be used for its purpose but still needs finishing touches. The GC, the owner or architect, and often the subs walk the job together and record every item. The list then becomes the work plan for the last stretch, and the signed-off list is part of closeout.

On jobs that use AIA documents, the date is recorded on the AIA G704 Certificate of Substantial Completion. The G704 instructions describe the contractor preparing the list of items to be completed or corrected, with the architect verifying and amending it. The same instructions say warranties required by the contract documents start on the date of substantial completion unless the form lists a different start date. That makes the punch list a contract record, not just a to-do list.

Many GCs run their own internal punch walk a week or two before the owner's walk. Catching the obvious items first keeps the owner's list short and makes the job look finished.

How to fill in each column

• Item number: sequential, so everyone can refer to "item 23" without confusion.
• Location: room number, gridline, or floor. Specific enough that a sub can walk straight to it.
• Description: what is wrong and what done looks like, such as "Touch up paint at door frame, west side."
• Trade responsible: the sub or crew who will fix it. One owner per item.
• Priority: high for life safety, code, or items blocking occupancy; normal for cosmetic.
• Date found and due date: so aging items stand out.
• Status, completed date, and verified by: the item is not closed until someone other than the trade checks it.

Punch list inspection on federal and public jobs

Federal fixed-price construction contracts usually include FAR clause 52.246-12, Inspection of Construction. It requires the contractor to keep an adequate inspection system and complete inspection records, says government inspections do not by themselves mean the work is accepted, and makes the contractor correct or replace nonconforming work at no extra cost. FAR Part 46, Quality Assurance explains when the clause goes into a contract. On these jobs the punch list, with its dates and Verified by column, doubles as your inspection record, so keep it complete.

When a contract also carries FAR 52.246-21, Warranty of Construction, the warranty runs for 1 year from final acceptance, or from the date the government takes possession of part of the work. If floors or wings are turned over in phases, track punch and closeout management by area: which rooms were handed over, on what date, and which items were still open. State and local public owners often have their own closeout procedures, so read the contract's closeout section before the first walk.

Safety, code, and accessibility items

Mark these High and close them first. Punch work happens while other trades are still finishing, so the normal construction hazards still apply. OSHA's construction industry page links the 29 CFR 1926 standards, and its electrical safety overview is worth sharing with crews trimming out devices or chasing a dead exit sign on a circuit that may still be energized.

Accessibility items are easy to miss and expensive to fix after occupancy. If the building is covered by the ADA, check toilet rooms, grab bars, door hardware, and clear floor space against the ADA Accessibility Standards published by the U.S. Access Board, or against the accessibility code your jurisdiction adopted. Put these on the list during the internal walk, not after the owner's inspection.

Common punch list mistakes

1. Vague items like "fix paint, lobby," which the painter has to come back and ask about.
2. No trade assigned, so the item sits until someone notices.
3. Waiting until the owner's walk to look at the work for the first time.
4. Letting the trade mark its own items complete with no verification.
5. Forgetting that closeout documents (warranties, O&M manuals, lien waivers) are also on the critical path to final payment.

Related punch list and closeout forms

See how to run a punch walk and close out punch lists for the walk itself, and pair the list with a project closeout checklist. Residential builders can also read how to manage punch lists with homeowners. Once punch is closed, use a retainage tracking template to bill the release.

Smart Business Automator keeps punch items, photos, and closeout documents with the project, so punch list management and the release invoice live in one place and the invoice can go out as soon as the list is clear. See construction workflow automation.