Punch list app: how to choose while preventing disputes on your construction sites

Which punch list app should you choose for your construction site? The right tool depends on the size of your company, but one criterion matters everywhere: proof. A closed punch list item must still be demonstrable months after acceptance of the works.

Punch list in France: what the law says and what you must prove

Punch list work (levée de réserves in French, "snagging" in the UK) closes a construction project. You record the defects noted at the pre-acceptance inspection (OPR), have them fixed, then confirm each item is closed.

Article 1792-6 of the French Civil Code defines acceptance (réception) as acceptance of the works by the client, with or without reservations. The completion guarantee (garantie de parfait achèvement) then starts. For one year, the contractor must repair defects listed in the reservations of the report, or notified in writing afterwards.

The client may dispute that a fix was really done. The company must then show what it corrected, where and when. Site inspection rests on dated facts, not on statements.

France's statutory construction warranties all run from acceptance of the works: 1 year, 2 years and 10 years. Proof of closed punch list items must stay available for as long.

Which punch list app should you choose, depending on company size?

Our September 2026 review of tools used on French sites covers about ten products, including PlanRadar, Fieldwire, Archireport, usBIM.resolver, Organilog and BatiScript. In general, this punch list software supports daily site inspection: mobile entry, tracking of subcontractor fixes, an automatically generated report.

Plans and prices change: check them with each vendor. For the full picture, see our comparison of site management software (in French).

The criterion software does not settle: proof in a dispute

Software organises the punch list. It does not tell you whether the photos will survive a challenge. A photo's value rests on three things: its date, its location and its integrity. The metadata of an ordinary file can be edited after the fact.

Under Article 41 of the eIDAS Regulation, a qualified electronic time stamp is presumed accurate. The same presumption covers the integrity of the data it is bound to. Whether the photo is taken inside software or with the phone camera, the question stays the same: which time stamp, which geolocation, which integrity guarantee?

Certificall, the trust layer you add to your punch list tool

Certificall is a digital trusted third party: it certifies photos and videos captured in the field, without replacing site management software. It provides the proof that the software organises. See how Certificall's data certification works: time stamping, geolocation, electronic seal and secure archiving in France.

Software vendors can integrate this layer through API and SDK: the photo is taken in their app and certified on the Certificall side. Obat, a construction software vendor, has done it and offers certified photos to its users. Here is why construction software integrates this API (in French), and the API and SDK documentation. The same principle applies to any vendor wishing to integrate it.

Without software, the app is enough. A construction company and its staff always have a proof tool in their pocket. Builders such as PM-BTP and Groupe SOLS use Certificall. The inspection bodies Qualiconsult, SGS France and Exagon use it for their site inspections (in French).

Documenting a punch list with Certificall in 4 steps

Certificall complements the acceptance report and the commissaire de justice report or certified evidence file (in French). It does not replace them in the heaviest disputes, nor where the law requires them. Developers already apply the same method to reduce punch list items at delivery in off-plan sales (in French).

One tool to organise punch lists, Certificall to prove them

Site software organises the punch list, Certificall certifies the proof, from initial condition to acceptance. For your next construction site inspection with certified photos, choose the tool that fits your structure. Add the proof that will hold up in front of the client, the insurer or the judge.

The questions we really get about punch list apps

❓ What is the best app for punch list work?

There is no single best app: the choice depends on company size and the number of sites. A small firm can start with a free plan or the Certificall app. A mid-sized or general contractor will prefer full site management software. In every case, check how photos are time-stamped and geolocated.

❓ Is a simple photo enough to prove that a punch list item is closed?

An ordinary photo helps document a fix, but its date and location rely on editable metadata. Under Article 41 of the eIDAS Regulation, a qualified electronic time stamp enjoys a presumption of accuracy of the date and time. The judge remains free to weigh all the evidence.

❓ How long does the completion guarantee last in France?

One year from acceptance of the works, under Article 1792-6 of the French Civil Code. It requires the contractor to repair defects listed in the reservations of the acceptance report, or notified in writing after acceptance.

❓ Does Certificall replace my punch list software?

No. Certificall certifies site photos and videos, while the software organises the punch list. Software vendors can integrate Certificall through API and SDK, as Obat has done. A company without software can use the Certificall app on its own.

❓ Does a certified photo replace a commissaire de justice's report?

No, not in the heaviest disputes or where the law requires this report. A certified photo complements the report and the acceptance report, and lets you document simple situations quickly.