Punch List Template for Every Type of Project
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Punch List Template for Every Type of Project

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How To Write A Project Punch List [+Template]

Create a punch list for your next project to make sure everyone involved is on top of their tasks. Try Coda’s practical punch list template!
Laila Robinson
This template was built with Coda, the all-in-one doc that brings words, data, and teams together. Play with the template below or copy the doc to save your edits.

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Task
Priority
Status
POC
Teams Responsible
1
User Sign Up Page
Very High
Complete
Buck Dubois
Front End
Mobile
Customer Experience
2
User Details Database
Very High
In Progress
Laila Robinson
Back End
3
Back Button/Refresh Button
Low
Scheduled
Shishir Mehrotra
Front End
Mobile
4
User Profile Page
Medium
Scheduled
Moni Caso
Front End
Mobile
Customer Experience
5
Explore page
Low
Assigned
Ben Lee
Customer Experience
6
Search Button
Very Low
Assigned
Maria Marquis
Front End
7
Feature Update Promotion
High
Assigned
Mary Jones
Monetization/Strategy
Operations
There are no rows in this table
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Sometimes, wrapping up a big project can feel like a never-ending quest. There's always one more task, one more little thing that's off.
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Punch lists are a final
to-do list
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the team can rally around to finally finish the project. While punch lists are typically associated with construction projects, they are actually super versatile and can suit the needs of just about any project you've got going. And it's super easy with this free project punch list template we've created that you can use right now.
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What is a punch list?

A punch list is a document listing all tasks that are incomplete or were completed incorrectly that the project team needs to resolve before the project is considered finished. Punch lists are most commonly used in the construction industry, where the general contractor or architect makes a final walkthrough to ensure the completed work meets the original project specifications.
The creation of a punch list most often occurs toward the end of a project, when most of the work is complete. But, depending on the project's complexity, punch lists
may be useful at specific milestones
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. No matter what, once the punch list items get resolved, the project or milestone is ready for closeout (you can use our
project closeout template
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for this project stage), and each subcontractor will soon receive their final payment.
The purpose of a punch list is to compare the completed work to
the planned work
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and resolve any differences. For this reason, other industries besides construction use punch lists in their project management processes, particularly creative industries. For a web design project, a punch list example item may be to "shift an element a couple of pixels to the left." For a construction project, a punch list example item could be to "replace a cracked tile."
To create a punch list, project directors might use project management software, or they may create the document themselves in a spreadsheet or document tool like Coda 😉. Here is a
punch list example
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from Jeffrey Sherrod, who used Coda to create and manage his punch list:
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Screenshot on 2022-02-17 at 17-46-23.png
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What is included in the project punch list?

Punch lists should adapt to the project they're helping to closeout. That said, there are a few common characteristics you should prioritize.

Task descriptions.

Each punch list task should have space for an explicit description explaining exactly what needs to get done. It may be helpful to refer to the original contract specification to define what the task involves.

Priority scale.

Not all punch list tasks are created equally. A priority scale will help organize a large list of items into a step-by-step process.

Roles and POCs.

It should always be clear who is responsible for which punch list task. You should assign each punch list task to a specific person and include all relevant stakeholders or persons of contact. This is especially useful when dealing with multiple subcontractors and many team members.

Due dates.

Punch lists are almost always time-sensitive because they come into play towards the end of the project or milestone. Be sure to assign due dates to each task to reflect this time sensitivity.

Clear status.

Punch lists often need to move fast, so progress towards completion should always be clear. Typical statuses are:
Assigned
Scheduled
In Progress
Complete

A final payment indicator.

While not as important as the other items listed above, some sort of indication of when final payment will be ready is important, especially for the commercial construction industry. Often the punch list is the only thing in the way of subcontractors getting that final payment. As the punch list reaches its final stages and the list reaches a point of substantial completion, it might be good to show everyone involved that the end (and a paycheck) is in sight.

Three benefits of using a punch list for project management.

Punch lists are useful in many different contexts, not just construction. Here are a few reasons you might want to give a punch list (and this free punch list template) a try.

1. Increase efficiency and create clarity.

It can sometimes be unclear what exactly needs to happen next in order to wrap up a project. The
bulk of the work is done
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, and the team is mainly just waiting on the finishing touches. But which finishing touches are worth paying attention to, and how do you communicate that to everyone? A punch list clearly indicates who is responsible for these finishing touches and keeps the momentum going as the project starts to wind down.

2. Build trust.

Keep in mind that a punch list isn't a list of things the team forgot or did wrong. Rather, it's a collaborative tool to ensure every little detail gets taken care of as a team. With a punch list, each team member has each others' back in ensuring that they've all dotted their "i" s and crossed their "t" s.

3. Save time and streamline collaboration.

A punch list is a central document many different stakeholders can reference. Instead of having to rehash every single detail once another team member gets brought onto the punch list, they can all reference what times are on the list, why those items are on it, and who's responsible for which one.

👉 Get started with this punch list template.
Copy this template
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After you copy this template, you can start utilizing this free project punch list template for your projects and business.

How to use Coda's punch list template for your next project.

Step 1: Project Punch List

Starting off on the first page,
Project Punch List
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, you want to start off you project by adding tasks to your Punch List. This is a good habit of keeping track of the different tasks that are in your project, their priorities, their due dates, and the people and teams that are responsible for getting them completed.
By clicking the Add New Task button, you can fill out details for each task: Task Name, Description, Priority, Start Date, Due Date, POC, Teams Responsible, and its Status. The
Project Tasks
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table will help you organize all of these tasks

Step 2: Visual Project Task Timeline

Next, in the
Project Timeline
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page, you can see a visual timeline of all the tasks that need to be completed. This will allow your team to visualize which tasks are in flight and if certain due dates are coming up.

Step 3: People & Teams

Finally, in the
People & Teams
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page you can manage your organization’s people and the teams they work for. This will allow your team to be organized into different interest areas to get tasks done effectively

Punch list template FAQs

Who prepares a punch list?

A project supervisor typically prepares a punch list. This supervisor is usually a general contractor or architect making a final inspection in the construction industry. In other industries, whoever leads the project will create the punch list.

Who can use a punch list template?

Anyone can use a punch list template. Though project supervisors typically use punch lists, anyone on the project team can create their punch list to check their work before submitting it for final approval.

How do you manage a punch list?

A project supervisor creates the punch list either physically or in software like Microsoft Excel, Google Docs, Google Sheets, or Coda. Each item listed should include a deadline, specification, and roles and responsibilities. The supervisor that creates the punch list can then hand it off to a team lead or take charge themself, updating the status of each punch list item as the team addresses them.

What is the difference between snag lists and punch lists?

A snag list and punch list are the same documents. Snag list is the term used in the UK, while punch list is used in the US and elsewhere
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Start with:
Project Punch List
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