It’s critical to document everything that happens on a construction site, not just at key moments. In order to create an accurate, comprehensive, and consistent record of activities throughout the project, a construction progress daily report must be filed at the end of each business day. If the idea of writing a daily progress log from scratch seems daunting, fear not: the downloadable template below and accompanying explanations will make the procedure a snap.
What is a daily report on a construction site?
A construction daily report is a document that is filed at the end of each day worked on a construction project, usually by the site manager or overseer. It covers all of the work done that day, as well as any successes or delays, safety incidents, equipment usage, worksite visitors, and any other relevant data.
The daily report process is vital because it provides thorough information on work progress to the project owner, site manager, subcontractors, investors, and all other project stakeholders without needing them to visit the site or contact another person directly.
It also ensures that everyone involved in the project is working from the same document and has access to the same information, reducing the likelihood of miscommunications and mistakes.
We’ve broken down all of the most important information found in a comprehensive construction daily report below. After you’ve gone over all of the components of a well-prepared daily log, download our construction daily report template and get to work!
How to make a daily report on a construction project
Some construction managers choose to purchase report software to help them with their daily reporting. It is, however, just as simple to create your own construction daily report by creating or downloading a log template and filling out a new copy for each day of work.
Every daily construction log must contain the same pieces of critical information in order to ensure proper documentation. The following are details on how to fill out a construction daily report.
1. Cover Page for Daily Report
The construction daily report can contain a full cover page or a header section at the top of the first page that includes the project name, date, worksite location, and the name of the person preparing the report, depending on choice.
2. Work Details
The first section of the document should include all relevant job details, such as name, type, and number. For example, merely saying “City Towers Construction Project” isn’t enough; you must also indicate the phase of the project on that particular day (demolition, groundbreaking, plumbing, wiring, etc.)
3. Weather Conditions
The weather report for that day, containing a general description of the circumstances as well as temperature, wind speed, and precipitation, should also be included in the paper. If work delays were caused by weather conditions, this information must be entered in this section as well as under Potential Delaying Events.
4. Progress of Activities
The site manager should review what progress was made on that day, including progress on particular tasks as well as the overall project, in this area. Each project activity and its status (started, completed, on progress, delayed, etc.) should be recorded.
5.Manpower
Following the weather report, the construction manager should make a list of all crew members who were on the job site that day. This list should be grouped by team (general contractors, machine operators, plumbers, electricians, etc.) and include the total number of man-hours worked by each group as well as the number of workers present from each team.
Man-hours can be calculated by summing the number of hours worked by each crew member. For example, if eight workers and three machine operators are present for an eight-hour workday, the daily report should show 64 labor man-hours and 24 machine operator man-hours.
If an individual is present on the worksite but not clocking paid time, they must still be documented, but they should be classified as a visitor rather than part of the Crew.
6. Equipment in Use
The site manager should create a list of all equipment present on the worksite and the number of hours each machine was operated, just as all crew members on a construction site must be documented.
Make a list of all heavy machinery on the job site, as well as the number of active hours each piece of equipment spent each day. If a piece of equipment is on the job site but is idle, it should be included in the report. It is critical to be specific and specify the equipment you have. A crawler bulldozer with an S-blade, for example, is not the same as a wheeled bulldozer with a PAT blade.
The site manager should also keep track of when each piece of equipment arrives and leaves the worksite. A crane, for example, will not be brought to and from the job site on a daily basis; instead, it will arrive at the start of its use on the project and will be dismissed after the crane work is completed.
Keeping an accurate record of equipment used on a job site enables stakeholders to discover the potential for improved efficiency. If a piece of equipment sits idle for an extended period, a project owner will typically rearrange their next project to just rent the equipment for the days it will be used in order to cut costs.
7. Material Quantities
A daily inventory of materials available and consumed during the day’s work should also be performed by the site manager. This allows you to measure the work done on each activity in a more particular and measurable manner.
For example, a crew may spend days or weeks laying steel beams, during which time the site manager would mark that activity as “in progress” in the Work Accomplished portion of their daily report. This, however, does not provide any information about how much progress was achieved in a day. By keeping track of how much material is used, the site manager may have a better idea of how fast or slow their crew worked that day.
8. Deliveries of Materials at Site
Following the recording of material quantities, the site manager should additionally document any material deliveries that occurred or were scheduled to occur that day, as well as the type and quantity of materials provided.
If a material delivery was scheduled for that day but did not arrive, it should be reported in this section as well as under Potential Delaying Events, if it has the potential to slow work progress.
9. Delayed Activities
Incidents that have the potential to slow overall work progress should be documented twice on the daily report: once in the appropriate part corresponding to the type of activity that was delayed, and once in the Potential Delaying Events section.
For example, an equipment malfunction would be reported in the Equipment in Use/Idle section because that machine logged idle time for however long it was out of action that day. However, if the problem was significant enough to delay overall job progress by any period of time, it should also be documented as a Potential Delaying Event.
10. Area of Concern
Report any issues that require everyone to come up with ideas to solve them.
11. Safety
Not everyone on a construction site is a member of the team or a project owner. Project investors, board members, off-site coordinators, local reporters, and even family members may visit the worksite on occasions. All of these individuals must be mentioned in the daily report.
12. Name, Signature, and Date
To formalize the completion of the document, the report preparer must print and sign their name alongside the date at the bottom of every construction daily report.
Why Are Daily Construction Reports Important?
Contractor daily construction report updates serve as a living record of the progress of the project. They provide specific info about the day-to-day progress on the job site. Daily reports let everyone on the work understand a project’s performance, progress, and productivity.
Skipping the daily construction report can jeopardize the overall success of your project. You raise your chances of minor issues escalating into major ones since they were not identified or documented early enough. Inexcusable delays, safety concerns — a variety of other issues may occur, and if left unaddressed, they may fester.
Daily Reports Are Your “Proof” in Case of a Dispute
Proof is the most crucial part of a daily reporting procedure! On construction projects, disputes about payment or the amount of work performed are common.
You can potentially resolve any difficulties early without resorting to more harsh solutions if you have a stack of correctly executed daily reports. You will receive a detailed report including labor hours, materials used, supplier delays, weather conditions, and any other factors of the construction project. This is especially useful if you ever find yourself in a legal situation.
Consider the legal and payment recovery implications whenever you feel that daily reports are unnecessary or too much trouble! What construction daily report should contain is a very critical issue that needs to be carefully checked. That should clear things up for you.
Best Practices for Utilizing Daily Construction Daily Report
Every job is different, and each contractor and construction manager will have their own method and template in order to manage daily construction reports. Still, there are some overarching guidelines that will apply to every job. Keep in mind that these reports are designed to tell higher-level parties about what is happening on a daily basis, and the more comfortable they are with the project, the faster they may release payments.
1. Use appropriate detail
The devil, first and foremost, is in the details. Fill out your daily reports with enough detail to give a clear picture of the day’s activities. No one benefits from broad descriptions.
These documents are intended to put on record everything that occurs on the project, not simply when things go wrong. If there is a delay or a work stoppage, explain why in detail and continue to monitor and document the delays until they are resolved.
2. Send Daily Report on Time
The next tip is to file reports as soon as possible. Memories are fickle beasts! I sometimes forget what I had for lunch the day before! The less time that passes between the actual events and their recording, the more accurate the reports. It will also help you gain favor with the GC or project manager in charge of collecting these reports.
3. Keep it Simple
Check that your reports are simple, clear, and concise. Remember that these are also intended to keep clients and stakeholders updated, so avoid using difficult-to-understand technical terms.
In the interest of simplicity, you might want to consider such a checklist in your reports. Checklists can help to prevent errors and increase the likelihood that everything will be documented. It may also be beneficial to utilize a consistent form for all project participants. The use of a uniform form can help to simplify the collection and management of these reports.
4. Use the Best Construction Daily Report App Software
Even if daily reports are not needed on your project, it is strongly advised that every contractor makes it a common practice. They don’t take much effort upfront and can save you time and money if a problem occurs later. Plus, if they’re a real pain, assign someone on your team to fill them out!
Better yet, make use of technology. Some construction daily report Apps simplify the process of exchanging payment documentation, there are organizations (such as eSub or Raken) that totally automate the procedure of submitting daily reports. Daily logs are also a feature of Procore.
A contractor or subcontractor can eliminate paper entirely by leveraging technology, and sending the daily report to a customer can be accomplished with the click of a button (or rather, the tap of a screen).
What is a daily JSA report in construction?
A job safety analysis can be conducted in mA JSA, or job safety analysis, is a procedure (often carried out using a JSA form) that specifies the steps required to complete a specific task or job – and then identifies potential events and hazards that may occur throughout the course of that task or job.
A job safety analysis, also known as a job hazard analysis (JHA) and occasionally rolled into a risk assessment, can be undertaken and used by any worker in any industry, although the most popular use case is for workers in sectors such as construction, oil and gas, mining, forestry, and so on multiple ways:
A job safety analysis can be conducted in multiple ways:
1.A JSA can be filled out by an individual prior to conducting work
2.A JSA can involve a person or group of people observing and documenting someone else performing the job or task
3.A JSA can be completed through a group discussion – whereby everyone comes together to perform a thorough ‘risk assessment’ of sorts based on that specific activity.
JSA examples:
Two JSA examples are provided below:
One JSA example is for a construction worker and a construction activity, while the other is for electrical work.
You’ll notice that both instances have the same attributes and architecture. Construction and other industrial businesses can frequently employ a single JSA framework for all of their JSAs, with only minor differences in the content of each job or task.
Free daily progress report construction site excel format
Because the report is due every day, it’s a good idea to have a template with all of the information you’ll need already built in. This way, all of the important information is already put out for you, and you only need to fill in the details.
You can download free construction daily report template excel which you may download from HERE and adapt as needed.
