Buhata
Login Start for Free

Home › Life Terms

Home maintenance and repairs

Punch list

A list of the small unfinished or faulty items left at the end of a building or remodeling job that the contractor must fix before the work counts as done.

What It Means

A punch list is the list of small tasks still to finish or correct at the end of a construction project, such as a scuffed wall, a sticking door or a missing cover plate. Merriam-Webster defines it as a list of usually minor tasks left at the end of a project. On a home job, you and the contractor walk through the finished work together, write the list, and the contractor works through it before the job is closed out.

Try It: Close Out a Punch List

An example list from a kitchen remodel. Tick each item as the contractor fixes it.

Items still open5

Hold the final payment. The FTC says pay in full only once the work is done and you're satisfied.

How It Sounds at Home

  • "Add the squeaky stair to the punch list."
  • "They're coming back Monday for punch-list stuff."
  • "We did the walkthrough and wrote up twelve things."

The Breakdown

How to run one

  1. Schedule a walkthrough with the contractor once they say the work is finished.
  2. Go room by room in good light. Open every door, drawer and window, run every faucet, and try every switch and outlet in the work area.
  3. Write each item down with where it is and what's wrong, and take a photo of it.
  4. Agree on the list together and set a date for it to be done.
  5. Recheck each item once it's fixed and tick it off.
  6. Make the final payment only after every item is closed and you have lien waivers from the contractor, subcontractors and suppliers.

Try it today. If a job is wrapping up, start the list now with your phone's camera, one photo and one line per item.

What goes on it. Small, specific fixes: touch-ups, adjustments, missing trim or hardware, cleanup. HUD's construction guidance describes the punch list as the remaining items to complete or correct once the work is ready to live in, including minor items and seasonal ones that have to wait. A large defect belongs in a direct conversation with the contractor, and on the list too.

Good to Know

The FTC advises against making the final payment, or signing an affidavit of final release, until you're satisfied with the work. It also warns that in some states an unpaid subcontractor or supplier can file a mechanic's lien against your home, so ask the contractor and each subcontractor and supplier for a lien release or waiver. Put the final payment terms in the written contract before work starts, and keep the finished punch list with the contract.

FAQ

What is a punch list in construction?

A list of the small items still to be finished or fixed at the end of a job, which Merriam-Webster describes as usually minor tasks at the end of a project.

When do you do a punch list?

When the contractor says the work is complete, before the final payment. You walk the job together, write down every item, and the contractor comes back to finish them.

Should I pay the contractor before the punch list is done?

The FTC advises paying in full only once the work is done and you're satisfied, and getting lien waivers first.

Do It in Buhata

Tasks, Vault (Plus)

Add each punch-list item as a Task due on the contractor's return date, and with Plus keep the signed contract and lien waivers in Vault.

Open Buhata

Related Terms and Categories

  • Licensed contractor

    A contractor who holds the license your state or local government requires for the kind of work being done, which you can check before you hire.

  • Building permit

    Written approval from your city or county to build, repair or tear down part of a building, followed by inspections to check the work meets local codes.

  • Home inspection

    A professional look at a home's condition, usually before buying, that reports which systems and parts need repair or may need replacing soon.

  • Home warranty

    A service contract, bought for a set term, that pays toward repairing or replacing covered home appliances and systems, usually with a fee for each service call.

  • Drywall patch

    A repair that fills a dent, crack or hole in drywall with spackling or joint compound, often over a mesh patch, then sands, primes and repaints it.

  • Paint sheen

    How shiny a paint dries, from flat and matte through eggshell, satin and semi-gloss to high-gloss. More shine usually means easier cleaning.

Home maintenance and repairs

Sources

Merriam-Webster, "punch list"; HUD, "Chapter 13 Construction Period" (MAP Guide); HUD Archives, "Construction & New Homes: Final Inspection on Properties"; Federal Trade Commission, "How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam"

Last updated .