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What to Include in a Construction Daily Report

Here’s the practical daily report checklist that keeps documentation consistent: work performed, crew, weather, deliveries, delays, inspections, photos, and issues — the stuff you’ll wish you had later.

Daily report checklist

A good daily report is repeatable. Not perfect. Repeatable. You want the same core fields day after day so the project record tells a coherent story. This guide gives you a checklist you can hand to a superintendent or foreman and actually get consistent results.

The one-line goal

Record enough detail that a reasonable person can understand what happened on site that day — without guessing.

Daily report checklist (the essentials)

If you only capture these items consistently, you’ll be ahead of most of the industry.

1) Header / basics

  • Date
  • Project name (and job number if you use one)
  • Submitted by (name + role)
  • Start/stop times (optional, if relevant)

2) Work performed

  • Short summary of work completed
  • Locations/areas (east wing, level 2, gridline, etc.)
  • Quantities when possible (LF, SF, CY, units)
  • Subcontractors present (if applicable)

3) Crew counts

  • Headcount by crew or trade
  • Key equipment onsite (if meaningful)
  • Any unusual staffing constraints

4) Weather / site conditions

  • Weather (auto + notes)
  • Ground conditions / access
  • Impacts to work (rainout, wind, heat limits)

5) Deliveries / inspections

  • Deliveries received (what + when)
  • Inspections performed (type + outcome)
  • Tests (concrete, compaction, etc.)

6) Delays / issues

  • What slowed progress
  • Root cause (weather, access, missing info, trade coordination)
  • Who it impacted + how
  • What you did about it (actions taken)

Photos: the simplest credibility boost

Photos are incredibly valuable — if they have context. A photo without a caption is just a mystery. If you attach photos to daily logs, add a short description:

Good photo captions include:

  • Where: area / level / gridline
  • What: what you’re showing
  • Why it matters: progress, issue, delivery, or condition

A quick example (plain language)

Notice the wording: factual, specific, and easy to understand later.

Work performed: Installed 120 LF of 2" conduit in north corridor (Level 1). Pulled wire for lighting circuits in Rooms 110–118.

Crew: Electrical (6). Equipment: scissor lift (1).

Weather: Rain AM; muddy access at south gate. No rainout.

Deliveries: Received lighting fixtures (partial) — 12 of 24. Stored in Room 105.

Delays/issues: Delayed 1 hour waiting on ceiling grid install in Rooms 114–118. Notified GC; rescheduled to tomorrow pending grid completion.

Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)

  • Vague language: Replace “worked on conduit” with location + quantity.
  • Late reports: Fill out the report same day (or it turns into guesswork).
  • Missing impacts: Document delays and the cause, not just that you were “behind.”
  • Photo chaos: Attach photos to the date and add a short caption.

For the full “don’t do this” list, see: Common daily log mistakes.

Why this matters for billing & compliance

Daily logs become powerful when they connect to the rest of your workflow:

  • Support percent complete during pay app review
  • Document delays that impact schedule or productivity
  • Create a defensible timeline for disputes
  • Help clarify work periods when closeout and waivers come into play

This is exactly why DailyLogsPro is built to work alongside PayAppPro and LienWaiverPro.

FAQ

The essentials are: date and project, work performed, crew counts, weather/site conditions, deliveries, delays/impacts, inspections, photos with captions, and any issues that could affect schedule or cost.

If safety incidents, near misses, toolbox talks, or site restrictions occurred, document them briefly and factually. Avoid opinions; stick to what happened and what actions were taken.

Detailed enough to be useful later, but not a novel. Use short bullet points, include quantities when possible, and attach photos to support key work or issues.

The biggest credibility killers are filling reports out days later, vague language, missing weather/crew details, uncaptioned photos, and failing to document delays and their causes.
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DailyLogsPro (Q2 2026)

Verified field reporting: weather, crew counts, photos, notes, and geo/time capture — built to support billing and reduce disputes.

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Built by Morton Technologies LLC (Metro Detroit).