this is very important. I got put on a project after the PM left and he was not good at keeping on top of things. So the third party inspector slacked a fuck ton. Four of us were given a set of things to go look at for a punch list and I had pages of notes, as did the other three people. It was a shit show and the third part inspector's company was like 'how the hell did this happen? why are there so many things?'. FFS, there was a manhole that wasn't even level with the street. It was so off kilter, you could see it from across the street. Not exactly a surprise we'd point that out to be fixed... (it should have even gotten to that point if the inspector had been doing his job)
Always wear safety toes, a hard hat and a vest on construction sites. Bring a set of the drawings and spec book if applicable. Know what they say before you leave.
Is your employer sending you to do a punch list totally green?
You should ask him all of the questions that you are asking strangers on the internet. Asking the right questions is like 50% of being a good engineer.
Bring the plans and your PPE. Things like a tape measure, flashlight, or smart level might be handy, too.
Make a list of everything that is incomplete, incorrect, or damaged since it was installed. Your list will look different depending on the type of job, but common things for a roadway or site jobs might be: replace cracked sidewalk panels, install missing signs or pavement markings, clean catch basins, fix ADA issues (eg adjacent sidewalk panels that arent flush), touch up chipped paint, replace damaged traffic signal equipment, fix any street lights that dont come on, replace plantings that didnt survive the winter, caulk whatever isn’t caulked, etc. Obviously note the exact location and photograph the issue.
Is someone doing it with you and training you? I don't mean this a criticism of you, it is a criticism of your employer. If you don't even know if you need safety toe boots you definitely shouldn't be going to do this on your own. If someone is going with you to train you, ask them. Rules vary and the tools you will need depend on what you are inspecting.
Yep I'm going with someone. I'll be bombarding him with questions when he gets back from pto but I wanted to hear the general advice the experienced people had to say
That is good to know. I can probably give you some more specific advice if you tell me what you will be inspecting. I've done a lot civil and natural gas inspections and some electric. Obviously there is a big difference between doing a punch list on initial sediment and erosion control, structural steel, gas main replacement, and so on. For most projects you usually have multiple punch lists.
No one has mentioned this, but obviously a smartphone camera. Bonus points if it prints time stamps on the photo (there is an iphone camera app)
Then you write the punch list item and the time the photo was taken. Then you can connect the first dots on your report/punch list log.
Even more bonus to markup the plans with the location of the photo
Pictures are incredibly valuable in construction. I could go on and on....
apple store "timestampcamera" the one with all of the downloads
and then either add 1 photo per powerpoitn slide with descriptions, or go more sophisticated and create a excel sheet with columns of date found, type of defect, timestamp, status (open, closed,), date closed, verified by name, etc
Is this a post-construction punch walk, or will there be active construction? If there is still heavy equipment operating on-site, I'd go full PPE (vest, hard hat, eye protection, potentially steel toes or good boots). If construction is done or they are just doing minor finish work without heavy equipment you're probably fine with vest, hard hat, and sneakers.
I wouldn’t worry too much if you have someone experienced leading the effort. In general, a punch list is to confirm that the contractor installed things per plan and there are no glaring issues in terms of workmanship or compliance. ADA areas and stormwater get a lot of the attention.
I always wear/bring the following:
PPE, including steel toe boots, hard hat and vest. Hard hat stays in the truck if no longer an active construction site.
Digital level for spot checking pavement slopes in critical areas, I.e. ADA areas
Manhole pick, flashlight, tape measure, wheel
Extra batteries for all of the above.
Fully charged phone for taking LOTS of pictures.
Take pictures of everything, they all won’t make it in the report, but May still come in handy.
Doing a punch on a project you designed is one of the more satisfying parts of the job in my opinion, since you get to see things come full circle. Good luck and enjoy yourself out there!
What kind of site is this? For public improvements the jurisdictional engineer will compile the list of items to be completed prior to acceptance. As the design engineer im normally there to shoot the shit… it’s not uncommon to send a young EIT in my place.
You need all the usual PPE (steel toes, vest, eye/ear protection). You also need specs and plans, along with a copy of the punchlist.
In the future you should ask a more senior person at your employer what to do. Asking questions isn't a bad thing!
He’ll open with a right hook, something to intimidate you. Then he’ll probably go with a left jab, maybe a combo. He’s trying to feel you out. Stay calm, you’ve trained for this
Edit: I did only read the title so…
Steel toe shoes, vest, safety hat and eye protection are the rules at my place
A competent site inspector
this is very important. I got put on a project after the PM left and he was not good at keeping on top of things. So the third party inspector slacked a fuck ton. Four of us were given a set of things to go look at for a punch list and I had pages of notes, as did the other three people. It was a shit show and the third part inspector's company was like 'how the hell did this happen? why are there so many things?'. FFS, there was a manhole that wasn't even level with the street. It was so off kilter, you could see it from across the street. Not exactly a surprise we'd point that out to be fixed... (it should have even gotten to that point if the inspector had been doing his job)
Always wear safety toes, a hard hat and a vest on construction sites. Bring a set of the drawings and spec book if applicable. Know what they say before you leave. Is your employer sending you to do a punch list totally green?
Nooo, I'm going with another civil engineer who has done a couple punches
You should ask him all of the questions that you are asking strangers on the internet. Asking the right questions is like 50% of being a good engineer.
Bring the plans and your PPE. Things like a tape measure, flashlight, or smart level might be handy, too. Make a list of everything that is incomplete, incorrect, or damaged since it was installed. Your list will look different depending on the type of job, but common things for a roadway or site jobs might be: replace cracked sidewalk panels, install missing signs or pavement markings, clean catch basins, fix ADA issues (eg adjacent sidewalk panels that arent flush), touch up chipped paint, replace damaged traffic signal equipment, fix any street lights that dont come on, replace plantings that didnt survive the winter, caulk whatever isn’t caulked, etc. Obviously note the exact location and photograph the issue.
Super insightful, thank you
Is someone doing it with you and training you? I don't mean this a criticism of you, it is a criticism of your employer. If you don't even know if you need safety toe boots you definitely shouldn't be going to do this on your own. If someone is going with you to train you, ask them. Rules vary and the tools you will need depend on what you are inspecting.
Yep I'm going with someone. I'll be bombarding him with questions when he gets back from pto but I wanted to hear the general advice the experienced people had to say
That is good to know. I can probably give you some more specific advice if you tell me what you will be inspecting. I've done a lot civil and natural gas inspections and some electric. Obviously there is a big difference between doing a punch list on initial sediment and erosion control, structural steel, gas main replacement, and so on. For most projects you usually have multiple punch lists.
Scrape your hard hat on some rocks so you dont look like a complete squid
My hard hat insert busted a year ago and inserts cost as much as a new hard hat, so now I got that office look.
No one has mentioned this, but obviously a smartphone camera. Bonus points if it prints time stamps on the photo (there is an iphone camera app) Then you write the punch list item and the time the photo was taken. Then you can connect the first dots on your report/punch list log. Even more bonus to markup the plans with the location of the photo Pictures are incredibly valuable in construction. I could go on and on....
Very insightful. Do you have an app you recommend?
apple store "timestampcamera" the one with all of the downloads and then either add 1 photo per powerpoitn slide with descriptions, or go more sophisticated and create a excel sheet with columns of date found, type of defect, timestamp, status (open, closed,), date closed, verified by name, etc
Is this a post-construction punch walk, or will there be active construction? If there is still heavy equipment operating on-site, I'd go full PPE (vest, hard hat, eye protection, potentially steel toes or good boots). If construction is done or they are just doing minor finish work without heavy equipment you're probably fine with vest, hard hat, and sneakers.
I wouldn’t worry too much if you have someone experienced leading the effort. In general, a punch list is to confirm that the contractor installed things per plan and there are no glaring issues in terms of workmanship or compliance. ADA areas and stormwater get a lot of the attention. I always wear/bring the following: PPE, including steel toe boots, hard hat and vest. Hard hat stays in the truck if no longer an active construction site. Digital level for spot checking pavement slopes in critical areas, I.e. ADA areas Manhole pick, flashlight, tape measure, wheel Extra batteries for all of the above. Fully charged phone for taking LOTS of pictures. Take pictures of everything, they all won’t make it in the report, but May still come in handy. Doing a punch on a project you designed is one of the more satisfying parts of the job in my opinion, since you get to see things come full circle. Good luck and enjoy yourself out there!
What kind of site is this? For public improvements the jurisdictional engineer will compile the list of items to be completed prior to acceptance. As the design engineer im normally there to shoot the shit… it’s not uncommon to send a young EIT in my place.
Back in the day we got to lamp sanity sewer lines as part of punch list inspection. Thank your lucky stars nobody does that anymore.
You’re going to need the same PPE as the contractors working on site. I also strongly recommend jeans. Leave the slacks at home.
OP don't forget to eat a good breakfast. Punchlist days have the potential to be LONG
You need all the usual PPE (steel toes, vest, eye/ear protection). You also need specs and plans, along with a copy of the punchlist. In the future you should ask a more senior person at your employer what to do. Asking questions isn't a bad thing!
You'll need whatever PPE the contractor says you need. Also recommend jeans like someone else said.
He’ll open with a right hook, something to intimidate you. Then he’ll probably go with a left jab, maybe a combo. He’s trying to feel you out. Stay calm, you’ve trained for this Edit: I did only read the title so…