How to Write a Construction Daily Report
What belongs in a daily report, how to write entries that hold up later, and the mistakes to avoid. With a checklist and an example.
Updated October 11, 2026
What a daily report is for
A daily report, also called a daily log or site diary, records what happened on the job site each day: who was there, what work was done, what the weather was like and what got in the way. Weeks later nobody remembers the details. With the report you can look them up and show them.
It is kept by whoever has the overview of the site: the superintendent, the foreman, the owner of a trade business or the homeowner. Whether you have to keep one, and in what form, depends on your contract.
What belongs in a daily report
- Date and working hours: when work started and ended.
- Weather: temperature, precipitation and wind. This matters most for work that depends on it, such as pouring concrete, waterproofing or exterior finishes.
- Workforce: which companies were on site, with how many people and how many hours.
- Equipment: crane, excavator, scaffolding and whatever else was in use.
- Work performed: what was done and where, specific enough for someone who does not know the site.
- Deliveries: what arrived, and whether anything was missing or damaged.
- Delays: what held up the work, since when and why.
- Instructions: who directed what.
- Visitors and inspections: who came to the site, such as the owner, the architect or an inspector.
- Incidents: accidents, damage and concerns.
- Photos: the state of the work, and everything that will not be visible later.
How to write good entries
- Write every day. On the same day, while you still know the details. An entry written days later is worth less.
- Be specific. "Second-floor bath: wall tile set, grouting started" says more than "tile work."
- Stick to facts. Write down what you saw and measured, not guesses or opinions.
- Give numbers. People, hours, quantities and times.
- Tie photos to the entry. A photo with a date and a place replaces many sentences. Photograph above all what will soon be covered: pipes, waterproofing, rebar.
- Do not rewrite afterwards. Add what you forgot as a dated addendum instead of changing the old entry.
Example of a daily report
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Date | Monday, October 12, 2026, 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Weather | cloudy, 48 to 59 °F, no precipitation |
| Workforce | Hartman Tile: 2 people, 8 hours. Brooks Electric: 1 person, 6 hours. |
| Work performed | Second-floor bath: wall tile set, grouting started. Kitchen: outlets installed. |
| Deliveries | Interior doors delivered, one door slab damaged (photo). |
| Delays | Painting in the hall not possible, the drywall compound is not dry yet. |
| Instructions | Owner: move the hall outlet 12 inches to the left. |
Common mistakes
- The whole week is written up on Friday.
- Delays stay in someone's head and never reach the report.
- Photos sit in the phone's gallery without a date or a place.
- An old entry is "corrected" later, and nobody knows what it said at first.
The daily report on your phone
In the site diary app TagFix, every day has one entry with exactly these fields. The weather can fill in automatically, one tap copies workforce and equipment from the day before, and a closed day can only be extended by addenda. You share the report for one day or a date range as a PDF.
This guide is general information, not legal advice.