How to write a punch list at the end of a job
Published
Short answer
A punch list is the short list of defects and unfinished items to fix before the customer accepts the job. Walk the job in a fixed order, write each item with a location, problem, fix, owner, due date and status, photograph it before and after, agree the list in writing, then close it out and send the final invoice.
A punch list is the list of small things still to fix or finish before the customer accepts the job: a chipped tile, a door that rubs, paint missed behind a radiator. Done well, it turns a vague "it's not quite finished" into a short, countable list that both sides agree on, and it is the last step before the final invoice.
What belongs on a punch list?
Punch items are defects and unfinished work that fall inside the original scope: damage, poor workmanship, missing parts, things that do not work and anything you planned to do but have not done yet.
A new request is not a punch item. If the customer asks you to move an outlet that was installed where the drawings said, that is extra work with its own price. Write it up as described in change orders and extra work and keep it off the list, otherwise the job never closes.
In what order should I walk the job?
Do the walk-through with the customer if you can, and do it before they find the items for you. Pick an order and keep to it: room by room, left to right, ceiling to floor. A fixed route means nothing gets skipped, and the list reads in the same order as the building.
Take a flashlight, a tape measure, a level and a marker. Turn on every light, run every faucet and open every door and window. Many defects only show when light hits a wall at an angle, so look along walls and ceilings rather than straight at them.
How do I write each item so anyone could finish it?
- Location: kitchen, north wall, 12 in (30 cm) left of the window
- Problem: 1/8 in (3 mm) gap between the countertop and the backsplash
- Fix: clean out and re-caulk in white
- Who: Sam
- Due: Friday
- Status: open
Each line is one item with a location, a problem, a fix, an owner, a due date and a status. Compare that with "Kitchen - fix gap", which tells nobody what to do, where or by when.
Why photograph every item?
Take one wide photo that shows where the item is and one close-up of the problem. After the fix, take the same two photos again. Before and after pairs settle arguments about what was wrong and prove the work is done. More on this in job site photo documentation tips.
What should I fix first?
Not all items weigh the same. Work through them in this order: safety and anything that stops the room being used (a leaking pipe, an outlet that does not work), then function (a drawer that sticks), then appearance (touch-up paint).
Example: a bathroom remodel ends with 14 items. Two are about water, three about doors and drawers, nine are cosmetic. Plan one day for the first five and a second day for the rest, and tell the customer both dates when you hand over the list.
How do I agree the list and a finish date?
Send the list as a document with a date, and ask the customer to confirm it in writing. A reply by message is better than nothing. Anything they spot later should go on a second dated list instead of reopening the first one.
Set a realistic finish date and keep to it. The last few items shape how the customer remembers the whole job.
How do I close out the list and get the final payment?
When every item is done, walk the list again with the customer and get a short written confirmation that the job is complete. Then send the final invoice, using the numbering and payment terms from invoice numbers and payment terms.
Some contracts let the customer hold back part of the last payment until the punch list is complete. If you have agreed that, write down the amount and the items it covers. For example, on a final invoice of 4,000, the customer pays 3,500 now and the remaining 500 when two named items are fixed. Holdback rules and limits vary by country, state and contract, so check your own contract and local rules.
Punch lists in SiteReporta
SiteReporta has no separate punch-list document. A workable way to use it is to record the walk-through as a daily site report: list the items under issues, attach the photos, and export a PDF without prices. Each later visit gets its own report that notes what was fixed that day, with the after photos. The result is a dated trail from first walk-through to sign-off.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a punch list and a change order?
A punch list holds defects and unfinished work inside the original scope. A new request from the customer is extra work with its own price and belongs in a change order, not on the list.
Who writes the punch list?
Ideally you and the customer walk the job together and you write it, before the customer finds the items for you. A fixed route through the building keeps anything from being skipped.
How long should it take to finish the items?
Set a realistic finish date and keep to it. For example, a bathroom remodel with 14 items can be planned as one day for the five most important and a second day for the rest.
Can the customer hold back payment until the punch list is done?
Only if your contract allows it. Some contracts let the customer retain part of the last payment, and retention is regulated in some places, so write down the amount and the items it covers and check your local rules.
What if the customer finds more items later?
Put them on a second dated list instead of reopening the first one, so the first list can be closed and the final invoice sent.
Sources
Official sources for the rules and figures mentioned in this guide. Rules change and differ by place, so check the current text and your local rules.
- FAR 52.232-5: Payments under fixed-price construction contracts (retainage example)
- FAR 32.103: Progress payments under construction contracts
General guidance, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules differ by country and trade.