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Punch list template: the fields that get items closed, an example and a free Excel download

A punch list is the list of work that is incomplete or not to standard when a space is nearly finished — the scuffed wall, the missing cover plate, the door that does not latch. Writing one is easy. Closing one is not: items sit for weeks because nobody owns them, nobody can find them, or the trade says 'done' and nobody checks. This template is built for closing: every item has a location someone else could walk to, a trade and a person, a due date, a status the trade cannot close itself, and days open counted automatically.

Updated · 7 minute read

Key takeaways
  • A location someone else can walk to, and a photo.
  • A trade AND a named person for every item.
  • Trades mark 'Ready for review'; only the verifier closes.
  • Punch area by area as trades finish, not all at the end.

What a punch list item needs

A filled-in example

Four items from the floor 1 walk at Maple Street Medical Office:

No.LocationTradeItemPriorityStatus
1Room 112, east wallPaintingTouch up scuffs at 4 ft heightLowClosed
2Room 118ElectricalMissing cover plate at receptacle by doorMediumReady for review
3Corridor 1BDoors & hardwareDoor 1B-04 does not latchHighIn progress
4Restroom 105PlumbingLavatory P-trap leakingHighOpen

Item 3 is a fire-rated door: it blocks the occupancy inspection, so it is High whatever its size. Item 2 is 'Ready for review', not 'Closed' — the electrician says it is done; the superintendent has not checked.

CalculatorCan the punch list close in time?

Closing it out fast

How to fill it in

  1. Walk the area and add one row per item, with a location someone else could find and a photo reference.
  2. Assign each item to a trade and a person, with a due date.
  3. Trades set Status to 'Ready for review' when done; only the verifier sets 'Closed' (or 'Rejected').
  4. Filter Overdue and Priority = High each morning; Days open shows what is stuck.
  5. Send each trade its own filtered list rather than the whole sheet.
Checklist
Punch list template in Excel, filled in with example rows — columns: No., Location, Trade, Description, Priority, Photo ref, Identified by, Date identified…
The punch list template as it opens in Excel: example rows in italics, calculated columns shaded.
Free template · Punch list template (Excel & CSV)An Excel workbook with drop-downs, validation and formulas built in — or the same columns as a CSV for Google Sheets and Numbers.
Download Excel (.xlsx)
What this template captures

Everything needed to get a punch list closed rather than just written: where the item is, which trade owns it, what is wrong, how urgent it is, the photo, who found it and when, who is fixing it by when, its status, who verified it — with days open and overdue flags calculated.

15 columns: 11 you fill in, 2 picked from drop-down lists, so every row uses the same values and 2 calculated by formula and filled down 200 rows, so nothing is worked out by hand. In the Excel version, 3 columns reject entries of the wrong type (a date column only takes dates, an amount column only numbers), the header row stays frozen with filters on it, and the workbook opens on an Instructions sheet that lists every column below.

Every column, and how it is captured
ColumnTypeWhat goes in it
No.TextItem number, so it can be referred to on site and in emails.
LocationTextFloor, room or gridline — specific enough to walk to.
TradeTextThe trade responsible for the fix.
DescriptionTextWhat is wrong and what 'fixed' looks like.
PriorityDrop-downOptions: High / Medium / Low.
Photo refTextPhoto file name or link.
Identified byTextWho found it (architect, owner, superintendent).
Date identifiedDateEnter the date.
Assigned toTextThe person at the trade who will fix it.
Due dateDateEnter the date.
StatusDrop-downWhere the item stands; pick from the list so the log can be filtered and counted. Options: Open / In progress / Ready for review / Closed / Rejected.
Date completedDateEnter the date.
Verified byTextWho checked it and closed it — not the trade that fixed it.
Days openCalculatedCalculated — days since the item was raised, until it is completed or answered; counts up daily while open (= IF([Date identified]=blank, blank, IF([Date completed]=blank, TODAY(), [Date completed]) − [Date identified]))
OverdueCalculatedCalculated — shows 'Overdue' when the due date has passed and the item is still open (= IF(AND([Date completed]=blank, [Due date] ≠ blank, TODAY()>[Due date]), "Overdue", blank))

See it on real-looking numbers

Constructelligence is a construction intelligence platform: it reads your ERP, project and field systems read-only and does this arithmetic every week, for every job. The demo runs it on a sample eight-job portfolio.

Try the demoJoin the private beta

Frequently asked questions

What is a punch list in construction?

A list of work that is incomplete, damaged or not to the contract standard near the end of a project or phase. Each item is assigned to the responsible trade and has to be completed and verified before final completion and payment.

Who creates the punch list?

Usually the general contractor's superintendent walks the work first, then the architect and owner walk it and add their items. Subcontractors often keep their own lists for the GC's items.

What should be on a punch list template?

Item number, location, trade, description, priority, photo, who found it and when, who it is assigned to, the due date, status, completion date and who verified it — with days open calculated.

How does the punch list relate to retainage?

Final payment and retainage are often released only when punch list items are complete. Unfinished items are a common reason owners hold retainage, and GCs hold subcontractors' retainage for the same reason.

CI
Written by the Constructelligence teamConstruction finance and software. Worked examples use the sample demo portfolio; formulas are standard practice. Reviewed September 2026.
Retainage in construction: how it works and how to get it backHow construction retainage works: typical rates, how it flows from owner to GC to subs, retainage reduction, release at completion, how it shows on the WIP and pay application, and how to track it.The three-week look-ahead schedule: build it, run it, measure itHow to build and run a three-week look-ahead schedule in construction: pulling work from the CPM schedule, clearing constraints, the weekly meeting, and measuring percent plan complete (PPC).Change order management: stop carrying work nobody has signed forHow contractors manage change orders: PCOs, CORs and CCDs, the real cost of unsigned work in place, the KPIs to track, and how to catch it the week it happens.

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