Your Guide to Construction Punch Lists

Reworks accounts for up to 20% of the total cost of a construction project. If a contractor or subcontractor fails to fix all issues on a site, the owner usually has a contractual right to withhold final payment (retainage). A well-designed construction punch list can prevent this by helping to resolve all outstanding issues.

In this post, we’ll cover all the important details and facts about closeout checklists, including which items belong on them, their legal status, best practices, and how punch list apps increase efficiency on site.

Your guide to construction punch lists

What is a construction punch list?

A construction punch list is a document that outlines defects on a building site that must be resolved before the building reaches final completion. Other names for these lists include ‘construction project closeout checklist’ and ‘final inspection list.’ These lists describe all incorrect installations, damage, and any faulty finishes. The contractor must ensure that all issues are resolved before receiving final payment.

Construction punch lists are usually written into the contract itself, so the contractor and subcontractors will be bound to meet the requirements in the list.

AIA Document A201-2017 General Conditions of the Contract for Construction says in § 9.8.2: “When the Contractor considers that the Work […] is substantially complete, the Contractor shall prepare and submit to the Architect a comprehensive list of items to be completed or corrected prior to final payment […].”

Who Creates a Construction Punch List?

The punch list itself is generally created by the architect, owner, or an independent engineer. They will do a site walk with the lead contractor close to the end of the project and complete an inspection together. They then create an agreed punch list of final changes.

In some large projects, a rolling punch list might be used. At different phases of construction, an inspection will be conducted and a construction closeout checklist created which must be completed before progressing to the next stage. This helps to avoid long and onerous remediation at the end of the project.

Common Punch List Items in Construction

So, what should you include on a punch list? Each site is different – fixes on a multistorey parking lot will be different to those on a residential property, which will be different from those in a sports stadium. That said, the following categories cover some of the most common construction punch list items:

Walls, ceilings, and surfaces: Check for cracks, holes, visible marks, and damage.
Doors and windows: Check handles, gaps, tight or loose fittings.
Pipes: Find leaks, damage, any plumbing issues.
Restrooms: Check faucets work, WC’s flush correctly, etc.
Electric: Check for loose or exposed wires, ensure correct lighting installations.
HVAC: Check all systems work.
Equipment installations: Ensure all machinery is installed correctly and works.
Painting: Look for scuffs, marks, use of wrong color paint.
Things to remove: Clear out trash, equipment, and tools.

Information to Include on a Punch List

The more information you can provide on a punch list, the more effective it will be. The contractor and subcontractors will be able to precisely locate the issue and clear it up. At a minimum, punch lists should contain the following information:

Description of the issue
Precise location
Category of issue (roofing/plumbing/painting etc.)
Owner (person who is responsible for repairs)
Priority level
Required completion date
Approval date
Status

In general, if you include these elements in your punch list, you’ll be prepared for any problems that might arise after you submit it to the contractor for rectification.

Who Pays for Punch List Items?

The cost of addressing punch list items typically falls on the general contractor and their subcontractors if the issues result from work that doesn’t meet contract specifications or is incomplete. Usually, the final payment is released when the punch list items have been completed to meet the contract specifications. However, if the punch list includes additional work requested by the owner that goes beyond the original scope of the project, these items may require a change order and could be billed to the owner.

Common Problems With Punch Lists

The name ‘punch lists’ comes from the traditional method of literally punching a hole next to items on the list of issues as you resolve them. Today, the construction industry tends to use a mix of paper lists and spreadsheets to create lists and monitor progress.

As anyone who’s had a dispute around retainage knows, construction project closeout lists can be a contentious issue. There are several problems that can arise when using punch lists. These include:

Disputes about legitimacy of the list’s length
Failure to address all issues on the list
Lost lists
Poor communication
Poor description of location or type of fault
Misaligned expectations about standards to meet
Disagreements around quality control
Issues around verifying that work has actually been done

All of these issues can cause hours of arguments, delays, extra costs, damaged relationships, or even lawsuits. Therefore, it’s important to make sure that you log your list items thoroughly, with plenty of evidence.

Best Practices for Punch List Creation

Basically, three factors are crucial for creating and working with punch lists in construction projects:

Start Early: Create rolling punch lists during construction phases to address issues as they arise, reducing the burden at the end.
Collaborate: Encourage contractors, subcontractors, and other relevant stakeholders, such as owners and architects, to work closely during closeout checklist walkthroughs to prevent last-minute issues.
Use Digital Tools: Utilize modern punch list software and apps to streamline the process, reduce human error, and speed up completion.

The Benefits of Using a Punch Lists App

An ever-growing number of construction businesses are turning to punch list apps for efficiently collection, tracking, and managing construction defects and other issues.

Read more: In this article, we compiled a list of some of the best construction punch list apps and compare key functions, prices, user reviews, and more.

Punch list apps like PlanRadar can help overcome many of the challenges that arise when using traditional methods. PlanRadar is a platform for documentation, communication, and reporting in construction projects. Through the mobile app, everyone has access to a digital plan or project model and can view the closeout checklist. This software-based approach offers multiple benefits:

Everyone sees the same list: Owners, contractors, and subcontractors can all see the entire list in one place. They can see how many items are outstanding, who’s working on them and how things are progressing.

Communication problems disappear: With PlanRadar, everyone is looking at ‘one version of the truth’. The list updates centrally in the cloud each time a user completes a task. The updates also show up simultaneously on everyone’s punch list app. This reduces duplication of work and misunderstandings.

Precise instructions: The closeout checklist in PlanRadar links up precisely with digital plans and your project’s 3D building model. This means that subcontractors can locate exactly where an issue is – be that scuffed paintwork or a loose door handle – and save time looking for it. If they have any doubts, they can always ask questions.

Get evidence of completed work: The owner and the lead contractor can also request evidence that each punch list item has in fact been resolved. Subcontractors can use their cellphones to take photos (before and after) and upload these to the punch list app.

By using this digital approach to closeout checklists, there is much less scope for confusion, disputes, miscommunication, and litigation. That means you can close out punch lists sooner, satisfy the owner, and make sure the contractor gets paid on time.

Contractor apps: Punch list app – How to boost efficiency on site!

The following video shows how a site manager uses PlanRadar as a punch list app to increase efficiency in various processes: