Punch list: what it is, who writes it, and a template you can copy

Short answer: A punch list is the list of work that still has to be finished or fixed before the job is closed and final payment is made. A missing cover plate. A door that rubs. Touch-up paint at the stair. Each line says what is wrong, where it is, and who fixes it.

By Goodhands Apps · Updated November 13, 2026 · 5 min read · En español

Below: what the standard contract says, what one federal clause and two state laws say, and what they leave out. This is general information, not legal advice. Your contract controls your job.

What the standard contract calls it

Start with AIA Document A201-2017, the General Conditions of the Contract for Construction. It does not use the words "punch list" in the section that creates it. Section 9.8.2 calls it "a comprehensive list of items to be completed or corrected prior to final payment."

AIA sells the standard form. The copy linked here is an owner-edited version posted by a public university. Read the copy attached to your own contract.

Who writes it

Under A201, the contractor writes the first list. Section 9.8.2 says that when the contractor considers the work substantially complete, the contractor "shall prepare and submit" the list to the architect.

Then the architect walks it. AIA's own explainer puts it this way: the architect inspects the work and "supplements the list with anything missing."

One sentence in 9.8.2 matters more than the rest. Leaving an item off the list "does not alter the responsibility of the Contractor to complete all Work in accordance with the Contract Documents."

If your job has no architect and no A201, the list is whatever your contract and the owner agree it is. Write the process into the contract before you start.

How it ties to substantial completion

A201 section 9.8.1 defines substantial completion as the stage when the work is sufficiently complete "so that the Owner can occupy or utilize the Work for its intended use."

Under section 9.8.4, the architect prepares a Certificate of Substantial Completion. That certificate sets the date, assigns responsibility for things like security, utilities and insurance, and fixes the time the contractor has to finish the items on the list. The same section says warranties required by the contract start on the date of substantial completion unless the certificate says otherwise.

Closing the list does not end the obligation to fix defects. Section 12.2.2.1 says that if work is found not to meet the contract within one year after substantial completion, the contractor corrects it promptly after notice from the owner.

Punch list and retainage

A201. Section 9.8.5 says that once the owner and contractor accept the certificate, the owner pays the retainage that applies to the work, adjusted for work that is incomplete or not in line with the contract. It does not set a percentage or a formula for the adjustment. AIA's explainer warns against treating substantial completion as automatic entitlement to all retainage.

Federal jobs. FAR clause 52.232-5(e) lets the contracting officer retain a maximum of 10 percent of a progress payment if satisfactory progress has not been made. When the work is substantially complete, the officer may keep the amount considered adequate to protect the Government and must release the rest of the withheld funds. That paragraph does not use the words "punch list."

Florida local government jobs. Section 218.735 of the Florida Statutes (2022 text) describes the list itself. For projects under $10 million, the list must be developed within 30 calendar days after substantial completion. Leaving an item off the list does not change the contractor's duty to complete the work. If there is a good-faith dispute over whether listed items are done, the local government may keep withholding up to 150 percent of the cost to complete them. The same section caps retainage at 5 percent of each progress payment. Check the current year's text before you rely on it.

California private jobs. Civil Code section 8811 applies to private works contracts entered into on or after January 1, 2026, and caps retention at 5 percent of each payment. It does not apply to residential projects that are not mixed-use and do not exceed four stories. The section sets the cap. It does not describe a punch list process.

Other states have their own rules. None of the sources above tell you what format the list must take.

What homeowners are told

If you work for homeowners, know what they read. The Federal Trade Commission tells them to "never make the final payment until the work is done and you're satisfied with it." A list walked together and signed off line by line gets you there without an argument.

A template you can copy

Copy this into a spreadsheet or a notebook. One item per line.

Header: project and address, owner, contractor, walk date and who walked it, due date.

Item table

Sign-off: total items, open and done; contractor signature and date; owner or architect signature and date.

Tips that save a second trip:

• Write the location first. "Hall bath, behind door" beats "bathroom."
• Take the photo before you move on. Put a pencil tip or tape in the shot to show the spot.
• Re-walk with the same list. Mark each line done or still open. Do not start a new list.

If you want this on your phone, Punchwalk, a punch list app for Android, is coming soon to Google Play.