flexiblefullpage - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
Currently Reading

Punch Out the Punch-list

Advertisement
billboard -
Home Improvement

Punch Out the Punch-list

7 rules for creating zero punch-list remodeling jobs


By By Kaitlin Schuler February 6, 2019
Remodelers discussing punch lists
This article first appeared in the February 2019 issue of Pro Remodeler.

Not long ago on The Tim Faller Show, the eponymous host weighed in on punch-lists: the outstanding items at the end of a remodeling project.

 “I bought a car recently and when I went to pick it up, the salesman did not hand me a roll of blue tape and ask me to mark all the things I didn’t like about the car and they would fix them before I left,” Faller said on his podcast hosted by Remodelers Advantage. “Instead, he sat me in the driver’s seat, told me all of the amazing features that the new car had, and sent me on my way.”  

Why can’t the end of a remodeling project be like that?

Many remodelers say that it can. These companies have challenged the age-old notion that punch-lists are a necessary evil, and instead established a new standard: the zero punch-list project. The goal is to complete the final client walk-through with no outstanding items left on the to-do list.

We spoke with 11 remodelers and industry consultants to discover how they strive to reach punch-list zero. Here are seven rules generated from those exchanges. 

1. Don’t make homeowners responsible for spotting unfinished items 

At most remodeling companies, items are left unfinished—often close to completion—with the belief that there must be a punch-list. These tend to include tasks such as minor repairs to finishes, cleanup, and outstanding installations.

There’s also an underlying assumption on both sides of the partnership that homeowners, rather than the remodeler, are responsible for pointing out issues found during the walk-through. The remodelers we spoke to all agreed that saddling homeowners with that responsibility creates the mindset that there will always be unfinished items for clients to find and that remodelers are trying to “sneak” these past homeowners.

Address these concerns as early as presale conversations, and carry the transparency throughout every interaction. Clients are less inclined to pick apart the smallest details of a project if they know the remodeler is as invested in the project as they are. 

2. Define what zero punch-list means to your company

The remodelers we spoke with were in various stages of creating a zero punch-list strategy, and each called what they were doing something different. But one thing they all had in common was clear parameters for their companies of what is acceptable at the time of a client walk-through.  

Some companies are comfortable allowing for a handful of would-be punch list items before the walk-through begins. BOWA, for example, allows 10 simple items if necessary to avoid delaying the project completion date. (Simple, in this case, includes tasks like a small paint touch-up, installation of a drawer pull or light fixture already on site—anything that can be completed quickly and without bringing in multiple trades.) 

Look at the average number of punch-list items on recent jobs, and set a challenging but realistic bar that will effectively utilize the team’s skills and move the company toward zero punch-list projects.

3. Keep a “rolling punch-list” 

Many remodelers we spoke with differentiated lists generated during the project from traditional punch-lists created during the client walk-through. Examples include the strong finish checklist, the critical 10, and the quality control list.

For the purposes of this article, we’ll define any list of would-be punch-list items generated prior to the client walk-through as a “rolling punch-list,” the most common term used by the remodelers we interviewed. 

Keeping a rolling punch-list from Day 1 to completion serves a dual purpose. For the individual project, the list creates a record of all outstanding tasks and when they cropped up. The project manager can easily see what tasks remain unfinished and how their completion (or lack thereof) affects the project timeline. These rolling punch-lists can then be compared between projects to help the company determine if any issues are showing up on multiple projects and if a process change can prevent them in future jobs.

The remodelers were split on how they prefer to track rolling punch-list items. A few prefer pen and paper, or a list on a whiteboard kept at each jobsite and updated daily. Others utilize shared spreadsheets, such as Google Sheets, or CPMs like BuilderTrend to keep everyone up to date in real time. 

4. Designate a single person to manage the list

Assigning a single person to update the rolling punch-list prevents confusion. It also leaves no doubt as to who should be monitoring these tasks for the duration of the project.

For most companies, this job should go to the project manager. In many cases, he or she also shares weekly rolling punch-list updates with the production manager, adding another level of accountability.

Some companies designate a single employee as the “punch-list guy,” who floats from job to job and takes care of easy punch list items that don’t require multiple trades, allowing the rest of the team to continue with the project. 

5. Create and enforce deadlines

Late projects do not a happy client make. When items are added to the rolling punch-list, the point person should determine the urgency and difficulty of the task and assign a reasonable deadline. Items that can be taken care of right away should be.

The deadlines may not always be met, but creating them sets the expectation that items can’t simply be pushed to the punch-list. On average, the remodelers we spoke to achieve zero punch-lists on 60% of projects.

Some tasks, such as a dent in a finished wall, require bringing multiple trades back in. At the outset of the project, define how many days subs will have to correct any rolling punch-list items, attaching a financial penalty to failure to complete them. (Some remodelers suggest a penalty of completing the work at cost plus 25%.)

Inform clients they also play a role in these deadlines. For example, if an item is on backorder and the client has been told they can wait or make a new selection, they should also be given a deadline to decide. Check in with them as it nears, both to provide any needed guidance and to keep them mindful of the deadline. 

Many of the remodelers use incentives to keep the team on deadline and working toward punch-list zero. The most common is to reward the PM with a percentage of the total retail price of the project, if the job meets the project completion date and the company’s standards for zero punch-list.

6. Conduct a team walk-through before the client walk-through

Even when a PM stays on top of rolling punch-list items, tasks can slip through the cracks. Minimize items found by the client during the final walk-through by conducting a team walk-through 1 to 2 weeks prior to the scheduled project completion date.

Some remodelers bring in a fresh set of eyes from elsewhere in the company, either a senior production manager, or a PM from another job. During the team walk-through, any outstanding items are noted, and the point person creates a plan for completing those items before the client walk-through.

Pulling a PM off his or her own job to walk through another job sounds counterintuitive when trying to save time, but PMs learn from inspecting other projects and can take that knowledge back to their own projects.

Consider conducting multiple walk-throughs of the site at various times during the project. Case Design/Remodeling holds a “mid-job huddle,” where the developer, designer, PM, lead carpenter, and client come together to discuss outstanding items and what could get in the way of completing the project on time. 

7. Debrief

Scheduling time for a debrief on each project allows the team to discuss successes, look at pain points, and determine what lessons can be carried into future projects.

The remodelers we talked with debrief as soon as possible, usually within a week after project completion.


Thanks to the following remodelers and industry consultants for sharing their ideas and experience with us:

Michael Barkhouse, Construction Manager, Amsted Design Build 

Chris Beck, Director of Production, Normandy Remodeling 

Tim Faller, Senior Consultant, Remodelers Advantage 

Weston Hinden, Owner, Zero Punch List Construction Services

Melanie Hodgdon, President, Business Systems Management

Daniel Hurst, Owner, Hurst Design-Build Remodeling

David Keebler, Production Manager, Harth Builders 

Jim Little, Owner, BOWA

Patty McDaniel, President, Boardwalk Builders

Mark Simone, General Manager, Cipriani Remodeling Solutions

Daniel Speer, Vice President, Case Design/Remodeling


written by

Kaitlin Schuler

Kaitlin Schuler is the special projects editor for Pro Remodeler. 


Add new comment

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
leaderboard2 - default

Related Stories

Why A Successful Custom Remodeler Started a One-Day Bath Business

On this episode of Rock Stars of Remodeling, Showcase Remodels Owner Sam DeMaio shares why he decided to add a one-day bath business and offers tips on how contractors can accumulate wealth

Learn from the Best in Home Improvement and Remodeling

This year’s Pinnacle Experience aims to help remodelers stay ahead of their competitors by featuring captivating keynote speakers and subject matter experts, collaborative roundtable discussions, and networking with proven players from across the country.

Get the Most Out of Your Teams with This Leadership Style

The transformational leadership style focuses on inspiring and motivating team members to achieve their full potential and exceed their expectations

3 Reasons Contractors Should Set Same-Day Sales Appointments

Director of Home Improvement Drew Barto writes that contractors that aren't implementing same-day sales appointments are missing out on opportunities to close more business

Registration Open for The Pinnacle Experience 2024

Register today for The Pinnacle Experience 2024 in Baltimore from June 26-28. Join the best and brightest in home improvement and remodeling for insight, advice, and relationship-building that will help you take your business to new heights.

How Contractors Can Determine Lead Value

On this episode of Rock Stars of Remodeling, Builder Prime Founder and CEO Jonathan Weinberg reveals how contractors can effectively determine the value of each lead to their business, and why they must do so

24 Marketing Tips for Home Improvement Contractors in 2024

Quick-hitting advice on how contractors can increase and enhance lead flow in 2024

Rising Financing Fees to Impact Home Improvement Industry

NEWPRO Home Solutions COO shares his expert insight on the challenges facing the home improvement industry in 2024 for Pro Remodeler's Thought Leader predictions series

Presidential Election Will Create Uncertainty for Consumers

PJ Fitzpatrick CEO reveals his predictions and advice for the home improvement industry in 2024 for Pro Remodeler's Thought Leader predictions series

Discover Innovative Ways to Market and Tell Your Story

Leaf Home Chief Sales Officer Chris Counahan shares his advice to help home improvement companies grow in 2024 for Pro Remodeler's Thought Leader predictions series

Advertisement
boombox2 -
Advertisement
halfpage2 -
Advertisement
native1 -

More in Category




Advertisement
native2 -
Advertisement
halfpage1 -
Advertisement
leaderboard1 -