How to Track Certificate of Occupancy Closeout in COINS ERP+
Certificate of occupancy (CO) closeout is the last stretch of a project: every authority inspection and sign-off that stands between substantial completion and a legal right to occupy the building has to be tracked, chased and cleared. If one inspection or correction is missed, turnover slips.
This guide follows a recorded closeout in COINS ERP+ Project Management for a fire alarm upgrade project: creating a CO inspection task list, assigning the authority sign-off tasks, watching Open Items as the critical path, logging and closing a Fire Marshal correction as a punch issue, closing the sign-off tasks, and uploading the signed certificate to the project documents.
- Who does itProject manager or project engineer responsible for closeout
- How oftenPer project, from substantial completion until the certificate is issued
- Steps10 steps · 1 systems
Watch the full workflow
every click in this recording is an AI agent — no one is touching the keyboard.
In the recording, an AI agent signs in to COINS ERP+, selects project 120023 CVWRF Fire Alarm Upgrade and creates a CO-Insp task list for Certificate of Occupancy closeout inspections. It adds two authority tasks (Building Department final inspection sign-off and Fire Marshal / Life Safety final acceptance), confirms them in Open Items, then logs a Fire Marshal correction for an emergency lighting battery backup failure as a punch-list issue. It closes the issue, closes both sign-off tasks with a completion date, confirms Open Items is empty and uploads the certificate of occupancy PDF to the project documents.
- 1:20Sign in and open the working project
- 2:05Create the CO inspection task list
- 2:40Add one task per authority sign-off
- 3:20Review Open Items as the critical path
- 3:45Did an authority raise a correction?
- 4:00Log the correction as a punch-list issue
- 5:00Close the issue once the correction is cleared
- 5:15Close the authority sign-off tasks
- 5:30Is Open Items clear?
- 5:45Upload the certificate to project documents
Systems involved
You need access to each of these before you start. In the recording the agent works in all of them from one desktop, signed in as the user.
- COINS ERP+Project Management module: task lists, tasks, issues, Open Items and project document upload
What you start with
- Project record in COINS (project number and name)
- List of authority inspections required for occupancy
- Inspection results and correction notices from the authorities
- Signed certificate of occupancy PDF
What you end with
- CO-Insp task list with one task per authority sign-off
- Punch-list issue for each correction, closed with dates
- Closed sign-off tasks with completion dates
- Certificate of occupancy filed in the project documents
The workflow at a glance
Action Decision Human review Select a step to jump to how it's done.
- 01 Action · COINS ERP+ Sign in and open the working project
- 02 Action · COINS ERP+ Create the CO inspection task list
- 03 Action · COINS ERP+ Add one task per authority sign-off
- 04 Action · COINS ERP+ Review Open Items as the critical path
- 05 Decision · COINS ERP+ Did an authority raise a correction? Yes Log it as a punch-list issue (next step) and keep the related sign-off task open. No Move straight to closing the sign-off task.
- 06 Action · COINS ERP+ Log the correction as a punch-list issue
- 07 Action · COINS ERP+ Close the issue once the correction is cleared
- 08 Action · COINS ERP+ Close the authority sign-off tasks
- 09 Decision · COINS ERP+ Is Open Items clear? Yes File the certificate of occupancy. No Chase the remaining items before closing out.
- 10 Action · COINS ERP+ Upload the certificate to project documents
Step-by-step: how to do it
-
Action · COINS ERP+ · 1:20 in the video
Sign in and open the working project
Log in to COINS ERP+, expand Project Management in the menu and open Jobs or Select Working Project. Pick the project that is in closeout so every list and document you touch is filed against it.
In the video- Project number
- 120023
- Project
- CVWRF Fire Alarm Upgrade
-
Action · COINS ERP+ · 2:05 in the video
Create the CO inspection task list
On the project, open Lists > Task Lists and add a new task list for closeout. Give it a short code and a description that says exactly what it tracks, so it can be filtered later.
In the video- Task list
- CO-Insp
- Description
- Certificate of Occupancy Closeout Inspections
-
Action · COINS ERP+ · 2:40 in the video
Add one task per authority sign-off
Open Lists > Tasks, choose the new task list and add a task for each inspection or acceptance an authority must give. Set status Open, the responsible person, a due date before the occupancy target and importance; leave the completed date blank.
In the videoTwo authority tasks created on the CO-Insp list.
- TASK0003 · Building Department Final Inspection Sign-Off O-Open
- Assigned to
- Project manager
- Due
- 09/30/26
- Importance
- H-High
- TASK0004 · Fire Marshal / Life Safety Final Acceptance O-Open
- Assigned to
- Project manager
- Due
- 09/30/26
- Importance
- H-High
-
-
Action · COINS ERP+ · 3:20 in the video
Review Open Items as the critical path
Go to the project's Open Items tab. Everything still open against the project appears here in one list, so this is the view to check before reporting progress toward occupancy.
In the videoOpen Items lists TASK0003 and TASK0004, both High importance and due 09/30/26.
-
Decision · COINS ERP+ · 3:45 in the video
Did an authority raise a correction?
Read the inspection result for each authority. A failed item or correction notice must be tracked as its own issue so it can be assigned and closed, not buried in a task note.
- If yes Log it as a punch-list issue (next step) and keep the related sign-off task open.
- If no Move straight to closing the sign-off task.
In the videoFire Marshal correction: emergency lighting battery backup fail.
-
Action · COINS ERP+ · 4:00 in the video
Log the correction as a punch-list issue
Open the Issues tab and add a new issue. Write a subject that names the authority and the deficiency, set the responsible party, status Open, type PUN-Punch List, importance and a due date.
In the video- Issue
- ISS0002
- Subject
- Fire Marshal Inspection Correction - Emergency Lighting battery backup fail
- Type
- PUN-Punch List
- Importance
- H-High
- Opened
- 09/28/26
- Responsible party: project manager
-
Action · COINS ERP+ · 5:00 in the video
Close the issue once the correction is cleared
When the correction is verified, open the issue's details, change Status to C-Closed and confirm the closed date is recorded, then save. Open Items should now show the issue as gone.
In the video- Issue
- ISS0002
- Status
- C-Closed
- Impact
- 3-No Impact
- Closed
- 09/28/26
-
Action · COINS ERP+ · 5:15 in the video
Close the authority sign-off tasks
Open each task's details, set Status to C-Closed and enter the Date Completed from the signed approval. Save each task.
In the videoTask details after closing.
- TASK0003 · Building Department Final Inspection Sign-Off C-Closed
- Date completed
- 09/28/26
- TASK0004 · Fire Marshal / Life Safety Final Acceptance C-Closed
-
-
Decision · COINS ERP+ · 5:30 in the video
Is Open Items clear?
Return to Open Items. Anything still listed is a blocker to turnover and needs an owner and a date before you file the certificate.
- If yes File the certificate of occupancy.
- If no Chase the remaining items before closing out.
In the videoOpen Items shows no remaining records.
-
Action · COINS ERP+ · 5:45 in the video
Upload the certificate to project documents
Open Files > Upload Project Documents, choose the signed certificate file and give it a clear description, then save so it is part of the permanent project record.
In the video- Document
- Certificate_o_ccupancy.pdf
- Description
- Certificate of Occupancy - Final Sign-Off & Permit
Rules, exceptions and controls
Rules to follow
- Every authority inspection or acceptance required for occupancy gets its own task on the CO-Insp task list.
- Corrections from an inspection are logged as Issues with type PUN-Punch List, not as notes on the task.
- A sign-off task is closed only with a Date Completed taken from the authority's approval.
- Open Items must be empty before the certificate is filed and the project handed over.
- The signed certificate is stored in the project documents with a descriptive name.
When something doesn't match
- An inspection fails or a correction is issued: log a punch-list issue, assign it and keep the sign-off task open until it clears.
- A sign-off date is approaching with items still open: escalate only the items on the critical path to occupancy.
- The certificate arrives without all tasks closed: confirm each authority approval before closing tasks retroactively.
Controls and audit trail
- Task list and issues sit on the project record, giving an auditable trail of every sign-off.
- Status changes (Open to Closed) are dated in the task and issue records.
- Open Items acts as the single check that nothing is outstanding before turnover.
- The final certificate is filed in the project document register for turnover and warranty.
Practitioner tips
- Name task lists with a short prefix such as CO-Insp so closeout lists are easy to filter across projects.
- Set task due dates a few days ahead of the occupancy target to leave room for re-inspection.
- Write issue subjects as 'authority - deficiency' so a reader knows who raised it and what to fix.
- Check Open Items, not just the task list, because issues and tasks both appear there.
About this recording
In the recording, the agent handled the closeout end to end in COINS ERP+: task list, sign-off tasks, punch issue, closures and the certificate upload.
Documented the way you'd train a new hire — and the same way an agent learns it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I track certificate of occupancy inspections in COINS?
Create a task list for closeout inspections on the project, add one task per authority sign-off with due dates, and watch the project's Open Items tab. Close each task with a completion date once the authority approves.
How do I log an inspection correction in COINS ERP+?
Open the project's Issues tab and add an issue with the authority and deficiency in the subject, type PUN-Punch List, a responsible party and a due date. Close it with C-Closed once the correction is verified.
Where do I store the certificate of occupancy in COINS?
Use Files > Upload Project Documents on the project, choose the signed PDF and give it a descriptive name so it is part of the permanent project record.
What blocks a certificate of occupancy?
Any authority inspection that has not been signed off and any open correction from those inspections. In COINS these show as open tasks and issues on the Open Items tab.
Can an AI agent do certificate of occupancy closeout in COINS?
Yes. As shown in the video, the agent works the same COINS screens a person does: building the task list, logging and closing the punch issue, closing sign-offs and uploading the certificate, with a person reviewing where needed.