While daily reports are not legally required in most cases, they can be integral in mitigating any disputes that arise over the course of the project. Everything from on-site injury to failure of material delivery should be recorded in a legally admissible report. On multimillion dollar projects, having a clear paper trail is essential.

Daily reports are important within the construction project itself and when dealing with outside companies. Internally, they let project managers catch problems the day they happen rather than weeks or months later, saving a lot of time and money. Reports also keep subcontractors and owners informed of progress and serve as a written record of all services rendered, allowing parties to adjust finances and timetables as the project continues.

A good daily report should include all major aspects of what goes on at the worksite, grouped into a few major categories:

• Who’s onsite
  There should be a record of both crew members and any visitors on the site each day. This is useful for payroll issues for the crew and liability issues in the case of visitors.
• What’s onsite 
  The record of what’s onsite should include both physical and environmental factors. Items like material deliveries and quantities, equipment, and weather conditions make up this category. This information is integral because it records issues like delivery delays, if the project is running short on supplies, and if other equipment might be needed in the near future.
• Work onsite
  This is an overview of what happened on the construction site. The details of the job planned for the day, the work actually accomplished, potential delaying events, and any incidents and accidents fall into this category. These written records are useful for tracking progress and making timely adjustments as needed.