Guide
Handover and defects: what the contract decides
We do not cite a statute for punch lists in any market: in the sources we use, the punch list is a contract procedure. The list is drawn up as the work approaches completion, the contractor fixes the items and the client side checks them. What triggers the walk-through, how long the contractor has for each item and what happens to payment is written in your contract, not in the list.
On UK projects under JCT contracts, the snagging list usually comes up around practical completion, and defects that appear later are dealt with in the rectification period. NEC contracts work with a defects date instead. The length of these periods and the notice procedure are set in each contract, and we do not quote clauses.
In the US, the punch list is prepared as the project nears completion; how closing it out affects the final payment depends on the owner's contract. In Australia you will also hear defects list. In Ireland the UK term snagging is common. Whatever the name, the list supports the handover documents your contract requires and does not replace them.
How to run a walk-through and keep the list moving
Walk the building in a fixed order, room by room or grid line by grid line, with the trade foremen present if you can. Give each defect one line: where it is, which trade owns it, what is wrong in a few plain words, and a photo number if you take pictures.
Set a priority and agree on a due date with the trade before you leave the room. A list without dates cannot show what is overdue, and an item without an owner tends to stay open.
Update the status as the work is done: the trade marks an item fixed, and the client representative or supervising engineer marks it accepted after checking. Do not delete closed rows; the closed items are your record of what was put right and when.
Count again on each inspection date. The calculator and the Excel template both compare due dates with the inspection date you enter, so the overdue figure reflects the day of the check, not the day you happen to open the file.
If the client side walks the building separately, merge both lists before you issue them, so that each defect appears once and has one owner. Send the updated list to the trades after each walk-through, and file a signed copy with the handover documents.
Counting rules and common mistakes
The closed share is fixed plus accepted items divided by all items. In the worked example, 6 fixed and 2 accepted out of 20 items give 40 % closed. An item is overdue only while it is open and its due date is earlier than the inspection date, which is why the item due on the inspection day itself does not count.
Priorities help when the list is long: high for anything that affects safety, use or the handover date, medium for visible defects, low for cosmetic touch-ups. The calculator and the summary sheet total open items, overdue items and open cost per trade and per priority, so you can see which subcontractor is holding up the handover.
- Several defects on one line: the counts look better than the building does. Split them.
- Closing an item when the trade says it is done: use fixed until someone has checked it, then accepted.
- Using today as the reference date: an old list opened later would show everything overdue. Enter the inspection date.
- Missing cost estimates: they count as 0, so the open cost is a lower bound until every open item has an estimate.
- Treating the estimated cost as a deduction: whether the client may hold back money for open defects, and how much, depends on the contract and the law where the site is.
Questions about punch lists
What is a punch list in construction?
A punch list is the list of work that is incomplete or not to the required standard when a project, or part of it, is nearly finished. The client side and the contractor walk the job, record each item with its location and the trade responsible, and the contractor works through the list until every item is fixed and accepted.
What is the difference between a punch list and a snag list?
None in substance. Punch list is the usual US term; snag list or snagging list is used in the UK and Ireland, and defects list in Australia. Snagging also names the inspection itself. The template uses the same columns for all of them: location, trade, defect, priority, responsible person, due date and status.
When does a punch list item count as overdue?
When it is still open and its due date is earlier than the inspection date you enter. An item due on the inspection day itself is not overdue yet, and an item without a due date is never counted as overdue. Fixed and accepted items are not overdue, whatever their date, because they are closed.
Who closes a punch list item?
The trade or contractor marks an item fixed when the work is done. The client representative or supervising engineer checks it and marks it accepted. Both count as closed in the totals, but keeping the two statuses apart shows which fixes are still waiting for a check before the list can be signed off.
Does a punch list replace the handover certificate?
No. The punch list is a working document. Completion, handover and the start of any defects period are set by your contract and recorded in the documents it requires. Keep the signed list with those documents as a record of what was outstanding at handover and what was put right afterwards.