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Construction Punch List

A construction punch list form for work left to finish before handover, with exact locations, trades, due dates, disputed items, closeout items and sign-off.

Updated
  • construction
  • punch list
  • closeout
  • substantial completion
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About this document

A construction punch list is the list of work still to finish or correct near the end of a job, written during a walkthrough before the owner accepts the work. Each item gets an exact location, one responsible trade, a due date and a check by the person who listed it.

Use the construction punch list at substantial completion, for back-checks and at the final walkthrough. Extra work that adds cost or time belongs in a construction change order, and what counts as complete comes from the construction scope of work. Many contracts tie final payment and the release of retainage, the money held back from each payment, to finishing the punch list. States set different deadlines for paying retainage, so check your contract and your state's rules.

How to fill it in

  1. Fill in the project details. Enter the project, contract number, owner, contractor, architect, the area covered and who walked it. For the due date, use the date in the certificate of substantial completion if there is one.
  2. Log one problem per row. Walk the area in a set order. For each problem, write a location someone else can find, what done looks like, the photo number and the one trade responsible.
  3. Send it and track each fix. Send the list to every trade the same day. The trade writes the date it fixed each item, and only the person who listed the item checks and initials it.
  4. Settle disputes and closeout items. Move items someone says are outside the contract to the disputed items table, and price added work with a change order. Tick off manuals, warranties, keys and lien waivers still owed.
  5. Sign the list, then the acceptance. The owner, contractor and architect sign once to agree the list and again when every item is checked. Before signing the acceptance, read the contract's final payment and warranty sections, since final payment can end some claims.
Construction Punch List

Punch List

Work left to finish or correct before the owner accepts the work

Project

[Project name and address]

Contract or job number

[Number]

Owner

[Name]

Contractor

[Company and site lead]

Architect or owner's representative

[Name, if any]

Area covered

[Building, floor, unit or rooms, or entire project]

Walkthrough date

[Date]

Walked by

[Names and companies]

List sent to trades

[Date]

All items due by

[Date, or the date set in the certificate of substantial completion]

Walkthrough type

  • Contractor's own walkthrough, before asking the owner or architect to inspect

  • Substantial completion walkthrough with the owner or architect

  • Back-check of items marked fixed

  • Final walkthrough before final payment

How to write each item. List one problem per line. Give a location precise enough for someone who was not on the walk to find it ("Unit 204, bedroom 2, north wall, left of door"). Say what is wrong and what done looks like, and note the photo number. Assign every item to one trade. The trade fills in Fixed; only the person who listed the item fills in Checked.

Items

#

Location

Item and what done looks like

Trade or company

Due

Fixed (date)

Checked (initials, date)

1

[Unit 204, bedroom 2, north wall, left of door]

[Paint touch-up around outlet; match sheen, no visible patch. Photo 3]

[Painting: company name]

[Date]

2

[Restroom 1, accessible stall]

[Toilet paper holder loose; reset into blocking, no movement. Photo 7]

[Carpentry: company name]

[Date]

3

[Corridor 2B, ceiling grid at room 210]

[Two stained ceiling tiles; replace to match. Photo 9]

[Ceilings: company name]

[Date]

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Add rows as needed. Number items found on a later walk from where the list left off, so no number is used twice.

Disputed items

List any item that someone says is outside the contract or was caused by others. Work that adds cost or time goes through a change order, not this list.

Item #

Why it is disputed

How and when it will be settled

[#]

[Contractor says the countertop scratch happened after the owner moved in]

[Owner and contractor compare move-in photos by (date)]

Closeout items still owed

Check off what the contract requires and has not yet been handed over. Delete lines that do not apply.

  • As-built drawings showing what was actually built

  • Operation and maintenance manuals for equipment

  • Warranties, each with its start date

  • Spare materials the contract calls for, such as extra tile or paint

  • Keys, key list and access cards

  • Final inspection approval and certificate of occupancy, where required

  • Final lien waivers from the contractor and suppliers, if the contract requires them

  • Owner training on equipment and systems

  • Final cleaning

Summary

Total items

Fixed and checked

Still open

Disputed

[#]

[#]

[#]

[#]

Sign-off

List agreed. We walked the area on the date above and agree that this list records the items found.

Name

Signature

Date

Owner or representative

[Name]

[Date]

Contractor

[Name]

[Date]

Architect, if any

[Name]

[Date]

Work accepted. Every item above, other than any disputed item noted, has been fixed and checked, and the area is accepted as complete. This sign-off does not change the contract's warranty or the owner's rights for defects found later.

Name

Signature

Date

Owner or representative

[Name]

[Date]

Contractor

[Name]

[Date]

Architect, if any

[Name]

[Date]

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a punch list and a snag list?

They are the same thing. Punch list is the usual US term, and snag list is the usual term in the UK and Ireland. Both record the defects and unfinished work found near the end of a project, so the builder can fix them before handover and final payment.

Who makes the punch list on a construction project?

Usually the general contractor. Under the widely used AIA A201 general conditions, the contractor lists the items when it believes the work is substantially complete, and the architect inspects and can add more. Leaving an item off the list does not excuse the contractor from finishing it. Other contracts set their own process.

What is the difference between substantial completion and final completion?

Substantial completion is when the owner can use the work for its intended purpose, even though punch list items remain. Final completion is when every punch list and closeout item is done and the contractor can ask for final payment. Your contract defines both terms, and they often start warranties and payment deadlines.

What happens if a defect shows up after the punch list is signed off?

Signing off the punch list does not usually end the contractor's duty to fix defective work. Many contracts include a correction period, often one year after substantial completion, plus product warranties. Rights for hidden defects found later vary by state. Tell the contractor about the defect in writing as soon as you find it.

Related documents

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A construction scope of work for a contract or subcontract, with work included by trade, exclusions, allowances, site rules, milestones and closeout.

Construction Daily Report

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