Glossary

Punch list, definition and guide for architects managing handover

A punch list is a construction document itemizing work that must be completed or corrected before a project can be considered finished. It is typically generated during a site walkthrough by the architect or quality supervisor and assigned to responsible contractors. In French construction, the punch list is the international equivalent of the réserves recorded at réception (handover).

What a punch list means in practice

On site, a punch list captures every defect, omission, and non-conformity found during a walkthrough. Each item names a location, a trade, a description, a photo, and a deadline to fix. The architect logs the item, assigns it to the responsible contractor, and tracks it until it is corrected and verified.

The punch list is built across the project, not on the final day. Items are added at every inspection from the first OPR visit through handover. The list moves from open to corrected to closed, and every status change is dated and attributed.

A punch list is closed when each item is fixed, re-inspected, and signed off. In French practice this final step is the levée des réserves. The closed list becomes part of the evidence chain an architect carries under 10 years of décennale liability.

The punch list and the French réserves at réception

In France, the punch list maps directly onto the réserves listed in the procès-verbal (PV) de réception. Réception is the act by which the maître d'ouvrage accepts the work, with or without réserves, under article 1792-6 of the Code civil. The réserves are the defects noted at that moment and recorded in the PV.

Réception starts the legal warranty clock. It triggers the garantie de parfait achèvement (one year), the garantie biennale (two years), and the responsabilité décennale (ten years) established by the loi Spinetta and articles 1792 and following of the Code civil. A precise punch list, with dated proof of each correction, is what protects the architect across those ten years.

Because the punch list feeds the PV de réception and the décennale evidence chain, accuracy and traceability are not optional. Each item must show who found it, when, what was fixed, and who verified the correction.

How Builddar handles the punch list

Builddar is the construction quality operating system for architects. Its Issue Tracking & Punch List feature logs every defect, reserve, and observation on-site in seconds, with location, trade, photo, and deadline. Items are assigned automatically, tracked to resolution, and audit-trailed for 10 years. From that same data, Builddar generates the PV de réception so the handover document writes itself.

Builddar is EU-hosted and runs in French, English, and Spanish. Capture happens on the mobile app while you walk the site. Architects pay €49–79 per seat per month, Builddar for one project at a time; developers pay €500–€2,000 per project per month, Builddar for a portfolio. Subcontractors are always free. A firm template is set up in about 20 minutes.

Frequently asked questions about the punch list

A punch list is a construction document itemizing work that must be completed or corrected before a project can be considered finished. It is generated during a site walkthrough by the architect or quality supervisor and assigned to the responsible contractors. In France it corresponds to the réserves recorded in the PV de réception at handover.
A punch list and a snag list are the same thing under two regional names. Punch list is the standard term in North America; snag list is the standard term in the UK and Ireland. Both describe the list of defects and unfinished work to correct before handover, which French construction calls the réserves.
The architect, maître d'œuvre, or quality supervisor creates the punch list during site inspections. Each item is assigned to the contractor or trade responsible for the work. The architect verifies and signs off each correction before the item is closed.
A punch list is closed when every item has been corrected, re-inspected, and signed off by the architect. In French practice this final verification is the levée des réserves. The closed list, with dated proof of each correction, becomes part of the architect's evidence under décennale liability.
Each punch list item is logged on-site in seconds with location, trade, photo, and deadline, then assigned automatically and tracked to resolution. Every item is audit-trailed for 10 years and feeds directly into the PV de réception. Architects pay €49–79 per seat per month, subcontractors are always free, and data is EU-hosted.

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