Punch List Template: What to Include, With an Example
How to set up a punch list, describe each item so nobody has to guess, and track it until it is done. With an example table.
Updated October 11, 2026
What a punch list has to do
A punch list tells each company what to fix, where and by when, and it shows you what is done. It is written on walkthroughs, before the handover and after it, for as long as items are open.
What every punch item needs
- Number: consecutive and never used twice, so everyone talks about the same item.
- Description: what you see. "Crack in the grout line, about 16 inches long" instead of "tile defective."
- Location: building, floor, room and the part of it.
- Photo: best with markup, so the spot is unmistakable.
- Company: who is to fix the item.
- Due date: a specific date.
- Status: open, in progress, reported fixed or verified.
Five rules for a list that works
- One item per entry. Entries such as "various scratches on the first floor" can be neither assigned nor checked off.
- Describe the symptom, not the cause. What you see, you can show. Why it is so is for the company or an expert to find out.
- Every item gets a company and a due date. Without both, nobody feels responsible.
- "Reported fixed" is not "verified." Check an item off only after you have seen the spot yourself.
- Record when you told whom. Note the day the list went to each company.
Example of a punch list
| No. | Item | Location | Company | Due date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Radiator valve leaking | Bedroom 2 | Front Range Plumbing | Oct 7, 2026 | In progress |
| 12 | Crack in the grout line, about 16 in | Bathroom, left wall | Hartman Tile | Oct 8, 2026 | Open |
| 13 | Stair tread: edge damaged | Stairs | Summit Ridge Builders | Oct 6, 2026 | Open |
| 14 | Outlet cover plate missing | Kitchen | Brooks Electric | Oct 15, 2026 | Open |
| 16 | Scratch on the window sill | Primary bedroom | Aspen Window Co. | Oct 18, 2026 | Reported fixed |
From the walkthrough to done
- Capture: record every item on the walkthrough, right away and with a photo.
- Send: send each company its own items, not the whole list.
- Follow up: raise overdue items before the next due date passes.
- Verify: look at the items reported fixed on site, and only then check them off.
The punch list on your phone
In the punch list app TagFix, you capture an item with a photo, a company and a due date in a few taps. The app numbers the items, flags the overdue ones and creates a PDF report for each company with its items. If you like, you pin every item on the plan.
This guide is general information, not legal advice.