A ready to use Excel snagging list and punch list for tracking defects by location and trade, from first inspection through to client sign off. Built by quantity surveyors.
A punch list, also called a snagging list or defects tracker, is the register a project team keeps of every defect identified before handover: its location, the responsible trade, priority, due date and closeout status, so nothing is missed and nothing gets signed off twice.
UK teams tend to say snagging list, US teams say punch list. Both describe the same register, and this template uses the same fields for either.Most snagging lists fail in the same place: the defect gets logged, but the evidence behind it (the photo, the reinspection note, the sign off) ends up in a different WhatsApp thread or a different inbox to the tracker itself. By the time a client asks for proof an item was closed out properly, someone is scrolling back through months of messages to find it.
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Location and package/trade | Ties every defect to a physical area and the party responsible for fixing it |
| Priority | Separates handover blockers from cosmetic snags so the right ones get chased first |
| Due date and status | Tracks closeout risk before it becomes a handover delay |
| Date closed and days open | Shows how long defects actually take to clear, not just how many are logged |
| Photo ref and reinspection date | Points at the evidence that proves the fix, without cluttering the row itself |
| Client sign-off | The one column that actually matters at handover: has the client accepted it as closed |
| Cost / retention risk | Flags defects with money attached before they eat into retention release |
[SCREENSHOT: Punch List tab showing the full column set with priority and status dropdowns, and the Dashboard tab's overdue and retention risk cards] Each row carries a photo reference and client sign off column, so the tracker and the evidence live in one place instead of two. The How to use tab explains every field with a worked example.
The Excel file with a full defect register, photo and reinspection tracking, client sign off column and an automatic dashboard.
Download the template (.xlsx) Free download. No email needed. Yours to use and share with your team.DEF-001 is logged on 1 July: a misaligned door latch in a Level 3 apartment, high priority because it is blocking handover, due back with the joinery subcontractor by 7 July. It is still open, with a photo reference and a reinspection date set for 8 July, so anyone looking at the tracker can see exactly where it stands and what happens next.
DEF-002, logged two days later, is a paint touch-up in the lobby. Medium priority, closed within a week, client signed off on 9 July with its own photo reference. Two rows, two very different risk profiles, both visible in the same register instead of scattered across a snagging walk photo album and a separate closeout email.
A punch list is only as trustworthy as the evidence behind each row. If the photo and the sign off live somewhere else, closing out a defect properly means chasing down proof after the fact, which is exactly when items get marked closed without it.
Gather's AI QS turns the daily record into a contract aligned commercial position automatically, so the claim writes itself from evidence instead of memory.
See the AI QS in action A 30 minute call. No commitment. See if it fits how your team already works.FAQ
Nothing functional. Punch list is the US term, snagging list is the UK term, and both describe the same register of defects identified before handover. This template uses one field set for either.
At minimum: a unique reference, date raised, location, responsible trade, priority, due date, status, date closed, a photo reference, a reinspection date and client sign off.
Separate anything blocking handover as high priority, then work down through items that affect use or appearance but not occupation. This template's priority column is designed to be scanned in seconds during a walkaround review.
It works for a single project with a manageable defect count. Where it struggles is keeping the photo and sign off evidence attached to each row without a separate system alongside it, which is where most disputed closeouts start.
Gather links every defect to the site record that proves it is closed, automatically.
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