Putch was born in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. He began his career as an actor at the age of five in summer theater company, The Totem Pole Playhouse, run by his father william H. Putch (1924–1983). He is the son of Actress Jean Stapleton (1923–2013).
After guest starring on his mother's series All in the Family (playing a Boy Scout in 1973 episode "Archie is Branded"), he was remembered by Producer Norman Lear who cast him in a recurring role as Bob Morton on the sitcom One Day at a Time, appearing in fourteen episodes from 1976–1983. Putch's next notable role was in the film Jaws 3-D (1983) co-starring as Sean Brody the son of Roy Scheider's character, Martin Brody, and his other film credits include appearances in The Sure Thing (1985), Welcome to 18 (1986), Men at Work (1990), Skeeter (1993), and the horror film Curfew (1989), opposite Kyle Richards.
For much of the 1980s into the 1990s he guest starred in a number of notable television series namely, Family Ties, The Fall Guy, The Love Boat, Hill Street Blues, Newhart, Star Trek: The Next Generation, 21 Jump Street, Seinfeld, Home Improvement, Wings as well as a starring role in the sitcom Room for Two and a major role in The Wave (1981).
In 1985, Putch made his directorial debut with the short film Waiting to Act starring Ed Begley, Jr., Helen Hunt and Lance Guest. He began focusing more on directing in the mid-1990s, directing independent films and episodic television. His television directing credits include Big Bad Beetleborgs, Son of the Beach, Grounded for Life, Scrubs, Ugly Betty, My Name Is Earl and Cougar Town. Some of Putch's film directing credits include Bachelor Man starring David DeLuise, The Poseidon Adventure, American Pie Presents: The Book of Love, Murder 101: College Can Be Murder starring Dick Van Dyke and Mojave Phone Booth starring Annabeth Gish and Steve Guttenberg, which won numerous independent film awards.
In 2007 Putch began making a trilogy of comedies surrounding US Route 30 in his home state of Pennsylvania. Route 30, Route 30, Too! and Route 30, Three! respectively take place in south central Pennsylvania in Franklin and Adams counties. The films collectively have earned over 30 film festival awards and continue to be popular on a cult level. Route 30, Three! like previous installments, premiered in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in August 2014.
