Selective Demolition: Punch Lists Leave Lasting Impressions

Plenty has been written in the demolition industry about planning, equipment, safety, and procedures. Cleanup, punch list and commissioning, however, go largely undiscussed, despite their great significance in determining the success of a project from the client standpoint. This final phase is when misunderstandings, finger-pointing and arguments can arise, and often do. If there are excessive issues during the final phase, customers are likely to “remember” a contractor negatively, and are unlikely to hire that company again. 

During any selective demolition or interior demolition project, walls, ceilings, equipment, piping, and electrical systems must be removed, per project specification, to a clean delineation. This also includes such smaller items as unused hangers, hardware, bolts, etc. If any items, such as doors or light fixtures, are to be salvaged for reuse, they should be cleaned, labeled, and carefully stored. Demolition contractors drawings are often lacking in details, so it is important that a contractor is proactive in pointing out and correcting elements that were missed on the original scope of work, rather than reacting at crunch time after problems have snowballed. 

Contractors should include final walkthrough as part of the Method of Procedure (MOP) presented to the client before a project begins. This walkthrough should occur once the main project objective has been accomplished to check that everything has been completed to the customer’s satisfaction, or if further work needs to be done at this point in time. Punch list items must be documented so they can be tracked and completed in a timely manner. If the work has been done properly and professionally, the punch list should be, ideally, minimal. If the punch list is long and problematic, clients will be left with a bad taste in their mouth, and will be unlikely to rehire or refer.

About R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services

R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services, a  Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB)  in business since 1935, is a premier specialized contractor operating in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, with over one hundred employees and an exemplary safety record (we have been directly involved in four sites that received VPP OSHA Safety Awards). R. Baker & Son is financially strong, with bonding capabilities over $10 million. Capabilities include industrial and commercial demolition, rigging, machinery- and plant-moving, dismantling, decommissioning, plant and equipment relocation, interior demolition, selective demolition, warehousing, wrecking and razing, millwright, plant reconfigurations, heavy rigging, salvage, environmental services, remediation, decontamination, abatement, and investment and asset recovery.

R. Baker & Son
1 Globe Court
Red Bank, NJ 07701
Phone: 732-222-3553
Web: http://www.rbaker.com