Punch List

Near the end of a build-out, you walk the space with your contractor and note everything that is incomplete or not right: a scratched countertop, a door that sticks, missing trim, a light that flickers. That list is the punch list, and the contractor works through it before the job is considered complete.

Punch items are usually small, but they matter. Some overlap with what inspectors check for the certificate of occupancy, so an unfinished punch list can hold up your final sign-off and your opening.

Do not treat the punch list as a formality. Small unfinished items can fail inspections and delay the certificate of occupancy, which delays revenue. Walk the space carefully, document everything, and hold back final payment to your contractor until the punch list is genuinely complete.

A dental office is otherwise finished, but the punch list has eleven items, including a restroom grab bar at the wrong height. That one accessibility item fails the final inspection and pushes the opening back a week until it is corrected and reinspected.