What to include in a daily site report
Published
A daily site report is a short, dated record of what happened on a job that day. Written at the end of each day, it takes a few minutes and becomes very useful when someone later asks what happened, when and who was there.
Why keep one
A good record lets you answer questions about delays, extra work and disagreements with facts instead of memory. It also helps you plan the next day, report progress to the customer and see how a job is going over time.
What to include
- Date, project name and site address
- Weather and site conditions, especially anything that stopped or slowed the work
- Who was on site: your crew and subcontractors, with trades or hours if you need them
- Work completed today, in plain words
- Materials and equipment delivered or used
- Issues, delays and safety concerns, and what was done about them
- Visitors, inspections and instructions from the customer
- Photos of the progress and of any problem
- The plan for the next day
Take photos that help
Take a wide shot that shows where you are on the job and a close-up of the detail. Photograph hidden work, such as pipes and wiring, before it is covered. Photos taken the same day and attached to that day's report are much easier to trust later.
Keep it short and regular
A few clear lines every day beat a long report once a week. Use the same order each time so anyone can find what they need. If you share the report with the customer or the crew, leave prices out.
Site reports in SiteReporta
For each project, SiteReporta records weather, crew, work completed, issues and photos, and exports the report as a PDF without prices. Everything stays on your device: there is no account, and photos you take or pick are copied into the app's storage. Read the privacy policy for details.
For the other end of the job, see how to write a contractor estimate.
General guidance, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules differ by country and trade.