Your punch list is the last thing standing between you and a completed project – and your final payment. Follow this punch list guide to make sure your team is clear on the importance of getting the punch list right and on getting to zero as smoothly as possible.
What Is a Construction Punch List?
The punch list indicates any construction project work that is unfinished or completed incorrectly at the end of a job. Also known in the industry as a snag list, the general contractor’s goal is for the punch list to be as short as possible – ideally ending up with zero items left to document, fix, or negotiate.
Typical Items That Appear on Punch Lists
Punch lists are generally made up of the smaller incomplete or incorrect items from a job, rather than significant problems or changes. These could include issues that arose with the work performed by any interior or exterior trade contractor, such as:
- Inoperable light fixtures
- Incorrect paint color/style
- Cracked drywall or concrete
- Landscape damage from equipment
- Plumbing leaks
- Missing outlet covers
- Inaccurate signage
What doesn’t belong on the punch list are larger updates to plans or specs that change the course of the project. These types of adjustments are typically handled via change orders earlier in the job and require communication among stakeholders upfront before the added work is performed.
From change orders to material swaps due to unavailability to last-minute punch list updates, the as-builts reflect the building as it exists, not as it was originally designed. Subcontractors and general contractors alike must track all of these changes to submit to the architect for the final drawings.
Punch List Execution Timing
The key to perfectly timing punch list execution is to find the sweet spot between completing the vast majority of the work – that is, 100% of the agreed-upon project tasks – and leaving enough time before project closeout for crews to fix and check off any remaining items on the punch list.
Thorough project tracking and skilled field crews throughout the project will ultimately mean fewer items on the punch list to start with, so setting yourself up with strong project managers and foremen will give you more leeway at the end of a job.
How Builders and Contractors Use Punch Lists
The punch list helps contractors stay accountable for mistakes and allows all stakeholders to keep track of last-minute repairs needed to fulfill the terms of the construction contract. Punch list work is not substantial enough to handle during the main phase of construction, so having a running tally of punch list items to return to at the end of the project keeps the job moving without letting smaller adjustments slip through the cracks.
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The Benefits of Punch Lists
Punch lists allow construction managers to focus their attention where it’s needed at the right time. When minor mistakes are made, adding those as punch list work and moving on to the rest of the bigger areas of construction frees up time and energy that might be spend trying to remember everything to come back to at the end of a project.
Instead, with a running punch list, the construction project can carry on according to schedule because the general contractor can be confident that those final touch-ups will be tended to before project closeout.
The primary benefit of a punch list is for the contractor to ensure the pro