At the end of a move, the truck is empty and everyone is tired, and that is exactly when the punch list gets skipped. It is the most useful single page you can produce on delivery day, because it records, in writing and with a date, anything that is not as it should be.
Two meanings, one habit
In construction and installation, a punch list is the final list of small tasks before a project is accepted: a hinge to adjust, a scuff to touch up, a unit to level. In residential moving it works like the exceptions line on the inventory. O'Brien's installs furnishings for hotels, dormitories, senior living and model rooms, and for interior designers, so both meanings come up. See FF&E receiving and installation.
What the federal rule gives you
Section 375.503(d) requires the mover, on delivery, to give you the opportunity to observe and verify that the same articles are being delivered and the condition of those articles. You must be able to note in writing any missing articles and the condition of any damaged or destroyed articles, and the mover must give you a copy of all such notations. The inventory you signed at pickup, with its numbered stickers, is the checklist you hold the delivery against.
How to run one on delivery day
Missing cartons are noted the same way. A short list written on the spot is far easier to act on than a long memory a week later.
- Keep the signed inventory and bill of lading in hand before the first carton comes off the truck.
- As pieces come in, check the numbered tag against the inventory and tick it off.
- Look at each large piece in good light before the crew leaves the room.
- Write each problem on the inventory or a separate page: the item, the number, the damage, the room.
- Take a photograph of the damage and of the page.
- Have the crew lead sign or acknowledge the page and keep a copy for yourself.
What happens next
The punch list supports a claim but does not start one. A claim is filed in writing with the mover, and the federal booklet describes the nine-month period for filing a loss or damage claim on an interstate move. The how to file a moving claim guide walks through the steps. The remedy depends on the valuation level you chose, covered in valuation coverage.
A caution about signing
Read what you sign. A receipt that says everything arrived in good order, signed while boxes are still being carried in, can make a later claim harder. Sign after you have looked, and add your exceptions above your signature.