Were you ever embarrassed by the poor workmanship practices?
It is perhaps due to the negligence and a poorly prepared punch list. However, this and many more problems can be taken care of with best practice procedures when creating punch list for new construction. Poor workmanship could even put the safety of others in jeopardy causing issues for those who work alongside them and the public. Luckily there are law firms, similar to Yarborough Applegate, that take on construction defect cases that may occur due to negligence. To prevent any cases of negligence construction project managers may create an accurate punch list that makes everyone involved happy. This describes the remaining work including the deadline. It must be noted that the basic requirements for construction project planning are laid down in the construction project planning. The Bonus is on everyone involved to ensure the punch list is complete on time, luckily there is construction project management software that could help keep projects on time and keep you on top of any construction projects.
Have a look at the different parties involved and the individual/individuals responsibility in creating a punch list for new construction.
The first one is the Owner.
The Owner’s Responsibility
It is the owner’s responsibility of the owner to get the punch list completed. The owners should be available at this critical stage of the project. Before taking a walkthrough, it is essential for him to study the daily reports to have an insight of the work finished and what is left. It is a good practice to visit the site before the walkthrough to help them to communicate to the contractor and ask right questions along with citing the expectations.
As an essential facet of the construction process, the owners must take out time no matter how busy they are to be a part of the walkthrough and ascertain that the expectations are met and are in line with the specifications laid in the beginning. The owners should not shy away from participating in this process. Leaving this opportunity may leave the owner with regret as once the project is handed over, it would be too late to make a point. Hence, the owner should make use of the last chance.
The next in this line is the contractor.
The Contractor’s Responsibility
A contractor is the representative of the owner. He should have an all-round knowledge of the project, with all the details. He should take a walk through after the completion of every phase and take note of every task.
It is the contractor’s responsibility to provide daily reports for update by the project team and the owner regarding the progress of the project and any new discoveries. The daily reports as discussed earlier help the owner know about the work already done in addition to what is not complete. After the contractor has his own list, it is essential for him to undertake the final walk-through with the owner and the tradesmen along with other representatives of the owner and the architect and/or designer. The punch list should include the discrepancies and device strategies for correcting any incomplete or undesirable work.
After the contractor, it is the architect and/or the designer.
The Architect/Designer Responsibility
The primary role of the architect/designer is to ensure that the final product is in conformity with the specifications (here it means drawings). However, in a few projects, a few elements need to be foregone. Sometimes, this is undertaken at the behest of the owner or sometimes due to unachievable engineering elements. When such a situation arises, the designer and the architect should agree and sign off on the decided specs.
Last is the subcontractor.
Subcontractor’s Responsibility
It is on the subcontractor to follow up the proceedings and get the work done. If the things spruce up right at the end of the project, it changes the scope of the project. In such a case, the subcontractor must provide with a quote including a new timeline. They must communicate and follow up throughout the process.
How to make a construction punch list?
A punch list is for all the parties involved in the project including subcontractors, contractors, owners and these must participate actively in the punch list process. Occasionally, the engineers also are part of the preparation at the request of the owner.
So, when do you do punch list for new construction? The punch list for new projects must be undertaken when the project is nearing its end. Usually, there are 2 types of punch lists. One is internal, prepared for the subcontractors with each having their own list. Second is external, and it is for the owners. They can check with their own or with their designer. The construction final punch list is the list prepared with utmost care before the project is declared complete.
Summing up
To sum up, it would be right to say that the process of preparing a punch list for construction projects is by far the most vital of all the processes. This process is regarded as the last task as it lays down the roadmap to a successful project. A timely input by all the members is extremely important. The owner, contractor, subcontractor and the architect/designer must address and rectify the items to meet all the project specifications laid down in the beginning.