Making progress on a construction project isn’t just about finishing the work: It’s also about documenting that work and communicating updates with the people who need to know. Keeping a project on schedule, on budget and as safe as possible requires workflows that capture and share important information on a daily basis.
A construction daily report is a document that records all significant events, work completed, resources used and issues encountered on a job site each day. Consistent, accurate and accessible daily reports can help construction teams improve communication, track progress and manage potential risks or delays.
This article explores how a standardized daily report template can improve communication and collaboration, provide valuable data and enhance final outcomes. A customizable, downloadable daily report template is included below.
Download this simple, customizable daily log template to record common jobsite data.
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Table of contents
Daily reports can help track everything from overall progress, material and equipment status, safety concerns and important project milestones, such as inspections. They can also be used in supporting change orders, resolving disputes between contractors and as evidence in case of legal action.
A daily report template standardizes the process of documenting and sharing information about daily activities. This ensures the most important information is captured comprehensively and accurately every day.
Templates also make daily reports more useful to project stakeholders, by helping them quickly and more purposefully analyze data and access details and updates that might impact their work, including weather conditions, labor hours, equipment usage and any relevant training.
Of course, daily reports are most effective when captured using software that is built for managing quality and safety. Each item captured on a daily walk is a point of data that can be compiled and analyzed across hundreds or even thousands of events. An analysis of daily log data over dozens of projects can yield powerful insights that help PMs predict and mitigate common causes of safety or quality issues.
An effective daily report template should include fields for all relevant information about activities on a construction site. At its most basic, the report should cover work completed, resources used and any issues or delays that come up. Project managers and superintendents can include additional fields to capture more detailed information for each project.
Below are some common elements found in a daily report template.
Inspection information can come from both planned and unplanned inspections. Planned inspections might include rough-in inspections, post-construction inspections, punch list inspection or the final inspection. Plus, most GCs and trade partners conduct routine unplanned inspections.
Safety elements may include a PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) inventory — with items like helmets, safety boots, gloves, googles and respirators — as well as injury reports with descriptions and documentation of incidents and inspections.
This section summarizes how daily activities might impact the project’s budgets and finances, especially unexpected costs.
After the report is complete, review and sign off. Include the name and signature of the person who reviewed the report, such as a project executive, and a review can highlight communication between leadership and the project team.
Finally, there is an action plan and recommended next steps. Outline a course of action to provide direction for subsequent days that will help keep the project on track and address any issues.
Here’s a typical process for using a daily report template.
Daily report templates ensure critical information is captured consistently and comprehensively throughout a construction project. Templates standardize the collection and sharing of important information that keeps stakeholders informed, provides data for decision making, resolves disputes and helps make long term improvements in workflows.
One of the most effective ways to improve the quality and usefulness of daily logs is to use project management software. Many digital tools have specific features to record, track and analyze daily logs. Having a single central location for documents and information helps cultivate a quality of collaboration and communication that can simplify and improve all parts of project management.
