What goes on a punch list?
Whatever the house has been collecting. A hole where the doorknob met the wall. A closet door that drags. Baseboard pulling away from the wall. Cracked caulk around the tub. A shelf for the garage. The GFCI the home inspector wrote up before closing. None of them alone seems worth a contractor’s trip, which is why they pile up; together they make a proper job.
Because the company is licensed for electrical and plumbing as well, the list can include the items that need a licensed trade: the outlet that needs replacing, the dripping shutoff, the bath fan that only hums.
Does drywall repair need a permit in Nashville?
Only past 100 square feet. Metro Codes requires a renovation permit for drywall repair or replacement over 100 square feet, and none for interior painting. Patching the hole the last plumber left, re-taping a seam or replacing a water-stained section of ceiling is an ordinary repair; redoing a whole room’s walls is a permitted job.
A good patch disappears once it’s painted, which means matching the texture as much as the color. Smooth walls are easy. Orange peel and knockdown take practice.
Is the paint in an older house safe to sand?
Not until you know what’s in it, if the house was built before 1978. The EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting rule requires anyone paid to disturb paint in a pre-1978 home to be certified, because that paint may contain lead. Small repairs are exempt at 6 square feet or less per room inside and 20 square feet outside, and plenty of punch-list work fits under that line.
Doors, trim, caulk and shelving
Doors stick when hinges sag, the frame shifts or humidity swells the wood, and a Middle Tennessee July takes care of the last one. Most can be fixed with longer hinge screws, a plane or a strike adjustment, and a door replaced in the same opening needs no Metro permit. Trim gets re-nailed, filled and painted. Caulk around tubs, sinks and windows gets cut out and redone, because new caulk laid over old won’t hold. Shelving goes into studs or rated anchors sized for the load, and books are heavier than anyone expects.
Safety items come off the list first: a loose handrail, a missing smoke alarm, an outlet by the sink with no GFCI protection.
Price depends on the number and kind of items, materials and paint matching, and whether any item needs a licensed trade. Put everything on the form; the estimate is itemized, so you can trim the list to fit.