How to Write a Contractor Punch List

Every project ends with a list of small things: a scuffed wall, a sticking door, a missing cover plate, a drip of paint where it should not be. The list is called a punch list, and how you handle it decides how the job ends. A clear, shared punch list turns a vague "there are a few things left" into a finite set of tasks with names and dates. This guide shows how to make one.

What a punch list is for

A punch list records the items that remain between "nearly done" and "done". It is not a place to add new work. It is a record of what was agreed and has not yet been finished or has not met the standard. Both sides use it: you to know exactly what is left, the customer to know exactly what to expect.

Step 1: Choose when to walk the job

Do the walk-through when the main work is complete, the site is reasonably clean and there is good light. Walking too early means a long list of things you were going to do anyway. Walking in poor light hides defects, and then they appear after you have left.

Invite the customer or their representative. Walk together if you can, because a shared list prevents later disagreement.

Step 2: Walk in a set order

Choose a route and stick to it: room by room, left to right, floor to ceiling. A set order means you look at everything once and nothing twice. For exterior work, go around the building the same way each time.

Step 3: Record each item properly

For each item, write down:

1. Where it is. Room, wall, side, level. "Kitchen, east wall, left of window" beats "kitchen".
2. What is wrong. A short, specific description.
3. What will fix it. Touch up, replace, adjust, clean.
4. Who will do it. You, a subcontractor or the customer.
5. When. A target date.
6. A line for sign-off. Who confirmed it was fixed and when.

Take a photo of each item and note the photo number. Photos remove arguments.

Step 4: Separate punch items from new requests

Sometimes a walk-through produces new ideas: "Could you also add a shelf here?" Those are not punch items. Write them in a separate section and handle them as changes with a price and a written agreement; see how to write a change order. Keeping them apart keeps the punch list finite.

Step 5: Agree the list

Read it back before you leave. Ask the customer if anything is missing and if the descriptions are accurate. Where you disagree about whether something is a defect, note it and talk about it calmly; do not argue on site. Give the customer a copy, on paper or by message, the same day.

Step 6: Work the list

Assign items and set dates, then do them in an efficient order, grouping jobs by trade or location so you do not make many small trips. Tick them off as you go and take a photo of each finished item.

Step 7: Close it out

When every item is done, do a short second walk-through, or send photos, and ask the customer to sign off. Once the list is closed, send your final invoice, as long as that is what your agreement says, and file the list with the project records. See job completion checklist for the wider finish routine.

Rules and contracts about final payment, retained amounts and how defects are handled differ by place and by agreement, so follow your contract and check your local rules.

Common mistakes

• Starting the walk-through with the site still messy.
• Vague locations, so nobody can find the item later.
• No dates, so the list drags on.
• Treating wishes as defects, or defects as wishes.
• Never closing the list formally.

A short list for the walk-through

• Good light and a clean site.
• Customer invited.
• Set route.
• Location, description, fix, owner, date for every item.
• Photos taken.
• New requests separated.
• Copy shared the same day.
• Second look and sign-off at the end.

The pack below is a keep-forever checklist maker, so you can make a fresh, printable punch list for every project. Edit the items to suit your trade.

General information to help you plan, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules differ by place and trade, so check your local rules before you rely on any template or wording.