Free New-Construction Punch List Template

A punch list is the walkthrough checklist a buyer or builder uses to flag what still needs fixing before a new home closes — paint touch-ups, a sticking door, a missing fixture. This free template is organized by room and trade so nothing gets missed. Print it or save it as a PDF.

Last updated: October 7, 2026

Olive Editorial — The Olive team

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What’s in this template

A punch list only works if it’s organized the way a walkthrough actually happens — room by room, not however the drywall crew finished first. This template groups items by the rooms and trades every new-construction walkthrough touches: exterior, doors and windows, kitchen, bathrooms, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, walls and trim, flooring, garage, and a final sign-off section for anything a prior walkthrough already flagged. Each item is a single fix, specific enough that whoever’s doing the repair knows exactly what’s wrong without a follow-up conversation — “paint touch-up on the hallway baseboard,” not “paint looks bad.” Work through it room by room during the walkthrough itself, not from memory afterward, and check off only what’s actually been inspected and confirmed fixed, not what you assume is fine.

The punch list

Exterior

Doors & Windows

Kitchen

Bathrooms

Electrical

Plumbing

HVAC

Walls, Paint & Trim

Flooring

Garage & Storage

Final Walkthrough

How to use this template

  1. Print the checklist or open it on a phone or tablet before the walkthrough starts, so you’re marking items in the room, not reconstructing them from memory afterward.
  2. Walk the property in a fixed order — exterior first, then room by room — and check an item off only once you’ve actually inspected it, not because it looks fine from across the room.
  3. Write a short, specific note next to anything that isn’t a clean checkmark: which wall, which fixture, which trade is responsible. “Bathroom tile grout, hallway bath, missing in two spots” is useful later; “bathroom issue” isn’t.
  4. Take a photo of anything you flag, if you can — a photo settles disagreements about whether something was actually fixed, especially when the repair happens weeks after the walkthrough.
  5. Keep the list after the walkthrough and bring it to the follow-up inspection. A punch list isn’t done when it’s written — it’s done when every item is checked off a second time, after the fix.

How do I track homeowner change requests?

A change request is different from a punch item — it’s something the homeowner wants done differently from the original plan, not a defect against the plan as built, and mixing the two lists makes both harder to manage. Track change requests separately, each with a date, the specific change, who approved it, and any cost or schedule impact, even if the answer is “none.” Number them in the order they’re made, and note which ones are resolved versus still pending — an unresolved change request should never quietly become a punch item only because it’s still open when the walkthrough happens. The punch list in this template is for defects against the approved plan; a separate log, even a plain dated list, is enough to keep change requests from getting lost in it.

Olive already turns a walkthrough photo or voice note into a punch item filed to the right trade — a small group of builders has access to this today.

See the plain definition in What Is a Punch List?, or read the full walkthrough process in How to Organize a Home Walkthrough. For the full picture, visit the Olive homepage.

Try Olive — free during beta.

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