How To Create A Daily Construction Report Template Step-By-Step

Last Updated: April 18, 2023
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From recording weather conditions to logging work hours, a comprehensive construction daily report is key to tracking progress and ensuring employee safety throughout each project.

We’ll share what a construction daily report should include, cover key benefits of this type of report and provide a step-by-step guide to creating your own template.

Plus, we’ll explain how you can simplify your reports by taking the digital route, so you can build, edit, save and send documents whether you’re at the project site or on the road.

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What Is A Construction Daily Report?

A construction daily report is a document that outlines the activities, progress and events that occurred on a construction site during a work day.

Typically used by a subcontractor, this report includes information on:

  • The work completed for the day
  • The number of employees on-site
  • The equipment used
  • The materials delivered
  • Weather conditions for the day
  • Safety incidents that occurred
  • Issues or delays that employees encountered

A construction daily report provides transparency on the project’s progress and allows project managers and stakeholders to make informed decisions at each stage.

A subcontractor filling out a daily report for construction​

A construction daily report can help provide transparency on a project’s progress​

How To Create A Daily Construction Report Template

Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating a daily construction report template:

1. Choose The Format Of Your Template

First, decide whether you want to use a paper-based report, a spreadsheet (for example, Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets), a document (for example, Microsoft Word or Google Docs), or a mobile forms solution (like doForms).

With doForms mobile forms, you can turn paper-based documents into digitized and simplified reports.

doForms allows you to store all of your construction daily reports in the cloud for easy access, so you can create and submit reports regardless of where you are.

2. List Project Details & Time Stamps

Next, include key details about the project, such as the project’s name, date and location, along with the subcontractor’s name and the names of the employees who are on-site during that day.

3. Record Weather Conditions

From strong winds and heavy rains to cold and humid temperatures, weather can impact employee efficiency and pose a threat to safety.

Add weather conditions to the report so stakeholders can better understand the impact of weather on project timelines, labor efficiency and equipment performance.

4. Log Working Hours & Project Milestones

Next, record the arrival and departure times of each employee, along with the number of contractors involved, the hours they worked, the tasks they completed and any equipment or materials that were utilized for the day.

These work logs allow you to generate manpower reports that provide weekly and monthly trend insights into your contractors and the tasks they completed.

You can also include a summary of the project’s overall progress, highlighting any significant milestones or accomplishments, such as permit approvals or a groundbreaking ceremony.

5. List Bottlenecks

Whether it’s a concrete mixer malfunction or a late delivery of cement, list any setbacks or bottlenecks your team encountered during the day.

Note their causes, how they were addressed and any potential impacts on the project timeline or budget as a result.

6. Report Incidents Or Near Misses

In this part of the report, record any incidents, near misses or accidents that occurred during the day.

Recording these events in a daily construction report is a crucial aspect of maintaining a safe and secure work environment.

Describe the event, any injuries that occurred, and the actions taken to address the issue and prevent future incidents.

To record incidents or near misses on your report:

  • Identify the issue: Describe the safety concern or hazard observed.
  • Describe the location: Specify the exact location where the incident occurred.
  • Record the time: Write down when the incident occurred.
  • List the involved workers: Record the names and roles of any personnel that were involved in the incident.
  • Determine the risk level: Assess the potential risk level of the issue (e.g., low, medium, high). For example, slips might be identified as medium risk, while crane and forklift accidents are identified as high risk.

7. Attach Photos & Videos

Next, attach photos and videos of what occurred during your work day.

Incorporating photos in a construction daily report provides valuable visual documentation of the project’s progress, safety conditions and other issues that were encountered, such as near misses.

To capture effective photos for a construction daily report:

  • Take photos from multiple angles and locations to provide a comprehensive view of the site.
  • Ensure that the subject of the photo is in focus. Capture close-ups of specific issues or areas of concern, as well as wider shots to show context.
  • Ensure each photo is time and date stamped, either by using the camera’s built-in settings or by manually adding this information after the photo is taken. This provides a record of when the photo was taken.
  • Avoid including sensitive information or capturing images of employees or contractors without their permission.

When creating a digital report with doForms, you can attach rich media such as images, videos and audio to visually support the written findings on your report.

8. Finalize The Report With Your Signature

Lastly, authenticate the report with your signature to verify the report’s accuracy. With a doForms digital form, you can then save the report in a secure location and send it to managers, third parties and stakeholders.

 

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Key Benefits Of A Construction Daily Report

Construction daily reports offer benefits for project management and employee safety alike.

A comprehensive construction daily report allows you to:

1. Provide Transparency Among Your Team Members, Project Managers & Stakeholders

Regularly updating your daily construction logs can help you provide transparent communication, ensuring that everyone is on the same page about the project’s progress and any changes that may occur (regarding budget or direction, for example).

2. Assess Efficiency

From the number of employees and contractors involved to the materials used and more, a construction daily report provides a detailed account of the activities and progress made on a construction site each day.

This allows you to evaluate labor efficiency, identify over- or under-staffing, and determine whether additional resources (such as materials, equipment or manpower) are required.

3. Improve Employee Safety

A recent report by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics found that over 1 million workplace non-fatal injuries occurred in 2020.

A construction daily report records near misses and incidents, allowing you to identify trends or patterns in safety issues, and help you proactively find solutions to protect your workers from workplace injuries.

 

A subcontractor taking down notes​

A construction daily report includes project details, weather conditions and bottlenecks regarding your construction project​

Simplify Your Daily Construction Report Template With doForms

Daily reports for construction are a crucial part of maintaining efficient project management.

However, paper-based reports can be messy, cumbersome and expensive — the average business spends $8,000 per year on paper materials alone.

Enter doForms — a mobile forms software solution that allows you to record data in real-time, capture images and videos for documentation, and safely store reports in a centralized location for easy access.

This digital approach can help you save time and resources, while improving the overall efficiency of project management on and off the construction site.

The doForms mobile forms app can be used with or without WiFi — conveniently set up for even the most remote work locations.

This means you can manage checklists, timesheets, reports, employee payroll and more, whether you’re on-site or on the go.

On top of construction daily reports, doForms allows you to:

Wrapping Up On Construction Daily Reports

A construction daily report is one of the most important aspects of any construction project.

These reports serve as a comprehensive record of jobsite activities, progress and issues encountered throughout your entire construction project.

By recording daily activities and progress, you can evaluate labor efficiency, pinpoint bottlenecks, provide transparency for stakeholders and project managers and ensure your crew on-site is well taken care of.

doForms is an innovative mobile forms solution that can be utilized by construction companies of all sizes to build, modify, submit and store digital reports.

Say goodbye to disorganized paper reports and make the switch to doForms to save money, improve efficiency and increase organization.

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