Tankersley Construction Behind the Business: Common mistakes to avoid in construction project completion (Part 2 of 5)

Behind the business series: This week we bring you the second in a series highlighting Tankersley Construction, a general contracting firm serving the Greater Sacramento area. In this five-part series, you’ll follow the journey of Heather and Steve Tankersley – spouses and co-founders – as they share best practices for construction punch lists, tips for better team management and how they found success with Buildertrend.

Construction projects are complex endeavors that involve numerous tasks, multiple stakeholders and a lot of moving parts. But one crucial step towards ensuring successful project completion is effective punch list management.

A punch list is a list of tasks that need to be completed or corrected before a job can be considered finished. However, managing punch lists can be a challenging process – and common errors can lead to delays, increased costs and customer dissatisfaction.

So how do the Tankersleys get ahead of potential punch list pitfalls and guarantee jobs are completed up to their standards?

They rely on To-Do’s: A feature in Buildertrend’s construction management software that makes it easy to create checklists and assign important tasks to the responsible team members.

“It allows us to figure out who has the ball, when do we need that information by and who’s gonna do it. It makes sure details don’t get dropped between all the things that happen on a job, from estimating to inspections,” Heather said.

Steve loves that they can use To-Do’s for their punch lists, pre-construction and design checklists – and that they all tie back to the Schedule feature in Buildertrend.

Holding team members responsible with automatic reminders and keeping everything on schedule is key to effective punch list management. And To-Do’s accomplish just that.

Common errors in construction punch list management

Without a reliable tool to control your project punch lists, chaos and inefficiency can hijack your job – and your life.

“If the plumber shows up and your faucets aren’t there, then you’re missing a big step,” Heather said.

Incomplete punch lists mean angry client calls after hours, frustrated subs and vendors who don’t have what they need to do their jobs and sleepless nights worrying about how to solve the endless list of problems.

Here are the issues you’re most likely to face when ineffectively managing your punch lists.

Incomplete or inaccurate punch lists

They should be comprehensive – detailing every task that needs to be addressed before project completion. Failure to include all necessary items can result in missed issues, leading to delays and additional costs.

Lack of prioritization

Without clear priorities, your team might focus on minor issues before major ones – causing inefficiencies and potential delays.

Poor communication

Effective communication is key in construction punch list management. Failing to communicate updates, changes or progress can lead to misunderstandings and misaligned expectations among team members and stakeholders.

Delayed action

Procrastination is a common issue in punch list management. Some teams may postpone addressing certain items until the project’s closing stages – leading to last-minute rushes and potential project delays.

Lack of documentation

Inadequate documentation of punch list items and their resolution can lead to disputes and disagreements. Clear and thorough documentation is essential for accountability and transparency.

Insufficient follow-up

After creating a punch list, it’s essential to monitor progress and follow up on the completion of tasks. Neglecting this step can result in unaddressed issues and project delays.

How to avoid punch list pitfalls

Mistakes are going to occur during a construction project – it’s inevitable.

But most of the common errors that can happen are preventable. And that’s what Buildertrend’s To-Do’s feature aims to help with.

“It might be my project, but maybe I need somebody else to cover picking up that finish item for me and getting it to the site. So, I can assign it to somebody else. Little things like that are what ensures those big ‘oops’ moments don’t happen,” Heather said.

Whether you’re using software or not, these tips can reduce the chance of an error transpiring at the worst possible moment on a job.

• Conduct regular and thorough site inspections to identify all punch list items.
• Prioritize punch list items based on their importance and impact on project completion.
• Establish clear communication channels and a plan to keep all stakeholders informed.
• Address punch list items promptly and avoid procrastination.
• Maintain detailed documentation of punch list items and their resolution.
• Implement a tracking system to monitor the progress of punch list items.

Using software to ensure effective punch list management

When it comes to choosing which punch list software is right for your business, Tankersley Construction stands behind Buildertrend.

“Heather really likes the To-Do’s section, and we use it as a workflow management tool for our company,” Steve said.

The To-Do’s feature stands out from traditional punch list software because it includes the option to build custom templates, upload and annotate photos, set recurring tasks and integrate with other tools such as Excel and QuickBooks.

“It allows us to keep track of who had what task. You can comment on it, say it was done, hand it off to the client, check it off. All the parts and pieces that have to happen in order for the job to be built ­– we tie all those to a Schedule Activity so that there’s very clear expectations of when they need to be done,” Heather said.

Schedule a demo with our team to see To-Do’s in action and learn how Buildertrend can strengthen your punch list management processes.