Free download
Free Punch List Template (Excel + PDF)
A clean, ready-to-use punch list — item, location, trade, status, and sign-off, already laid out. Grab the printable PDF with no email, or get the editable Excel version to make it yours. Honest catch: a spreadsheet is fine until it isn't, and we'll tell you where that line is.
What's in the template
The columns small teams actually use on a walkthrough — nothing more to wade through.
| Column | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Item # | A simple running number so people can call out "item 14" on site. |
| Location | Room, floor, or grid reference — where the issue actually is. |
| Description | What's wrong, in plain language anyone can act on. |
| Trade / responsible | Who owns the fix — the sub, trade, or person. |
| Status | Open, in progress, or done — the heartbeat of the list. |
| Priority | So the critical items rise to the top of the walk. |
| Date raised / due | When it was logged and when it's expected closed. |
| Sign-off | Who verified the fix, so closeout is defensible. |
Two formats in the download: a print-and-clipboard PDF and an editable Excel (.xlsx) workbook with the same columns.
How to use it
- 1. Walk the area.Go room by room, or follow the trades. Log each issue as you spot it — don't wait until you're back at the desk.
- 2. Be specific about location. “Level 2, room 204, north wall” beats “upstairs.” The clearer the spot, the fewer the back-and-forths.
- 3. Assign an owner.Every line should have a trade or person responsible, or it quietly becomes nobody's job.
- 4. Track status to closeout. Move items from open to in progress to done, and capture who signed each one off.
- 5. Share and re-walk. Send the sheet to the subs, then re-walk to verify before final sign-off.
When a spreadsheet stops scaling
Let's be fair: for a short list on a small job, this template is genuinely all you need. One person, a clipboard, a few dozen items — a spreadsheet handles that beautifully, and you shouldn't reach for software just because it exists.
It starts to creak when:
- • “Level 2, north wall” means three different walls to three different subs, and the fixes land in the wrong spot.
- • Two people edit the file at once and you're emailing “punch_list_FINAL_v3.xlsx” around.
- • You want to attach the photo to the item, not bury it in a folder named by date.
- • Nobody can see at a glance what's still open, by whom, on which sheet.
That's the moment a spreadsheet's one blind spot shows: a row describes a location in words, but it can't point at one. In Annotably, every row becomes a pin on the actual drawing — drop it on the exact spot, and it carries its own status, owner, photos, and comment thread. The location stops being a sentence people argue about and becomes a place on the plan. That's the one thing no static template, ours included, can do.
Frequently asked questions
What's in a punch list?
A punch list is the running record of everything left to finish or fix before a project is signed off — the snags caught during a walkthrough near the end of a phase. Each line typically captures the item (what's wrong), its location (room, floor, grid line), the responsible trade, a status (open / in progress / done), a priority, and who signs it off. This template gives you those columns, ready to fill in.
Punch list vs snag list — what's the difference?
They're the same thing in different dialects. "Punch list" is the US and Canadian term; "snag list" (or "snagging") is what the UK, Ireland, and Australia use. Some teams also say "deficiency list" or "defects list." The workflow is identical: walk the site, log what needs fixing, assign it, and close it out. We wrote a short bridge on punch list vs snag list if you switch between markets.
Is this template free?
Yes. The printable PDF is free to grab with no email at all. The editable Excel version sits behind a quick email so we can send the file (and the occasional note about Annotably — unsubscribe anytime). No payment, no trial, no catch.
Working in the UK or Australia? Grab the free snag list template, or read punch list vs snag list for the difference.
When the spreadsheet gets crowded, pin it instead.
Upload a PDF, drop a pin where the issue is, assign it, and track it to done — each item lives on the drawing, not in a cell. Annotably is free while in beta (founder pricing later for early teams), with clients and subs free to invite. No install, no credit card.
Comparing tools too? Here's a free Bluebeam alternative for small teams.