CONTENTS:

 INTRODUCTION
 WHAT IS CONSTRUCTION REPORT?
 TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION REPORTS
 WHAT TO INCLUDE IN A CONSTRUCTION REPORT
 THE IMPORTANCE OF A CONSTRUCTION REPORT
 HOW TO MAKE REPORTING EASIER
 SUMMARY

 INTRODUCTION
There are several items that a project team needs to be aware of continuously. Though people can
share this information through other communication channels such as word of mouth and email, there is
an easier and better way to have consistent data, and this is through construction reporting. 
The best construction companies have different reports that have the necessary information to
keep projects within scope and budget. These reports are further shared in paper form or email to the
relevant project stakeholders. Everyone can easily refer to construction reports to ensure they are working
with the latest and most pertinent information. Digital construction reporting is sometimes burdensome to
the parties involved, such as foremen, project managers, and architects.

 WHAT IS CONSTRUCTION REPORT?

In the construction industry, reports are typically formal documents that provide information about

key events, project stages or processes to a client, local authority, purchaser and so on. They can also
provide more general information about the state of something, ranging from individual components to
the entire construction industry or the wider economy.

Construction reporting is preparing formal documents that give information on critical events, project
stages, and processes to the relevant stakeholders. These reports are generally written documents with
data. They can also describe the state of individual components in a project or the budget state. 

Construction reports should be concise and written in a language that is easy to understand. They should
also be easy to navigate and have only the necessary information. They should also not be duplicated on
other reports. Construction reporting gives the project crew good visibility and understanding of what
should be done. Misreporting can have severe impacts on project budgets and schedules.

Construction reports are a means to understand the activities taking place in project sites. Construction
reporting employs various tools to gather and integrate project information to paint the right picture of
the project status.

Creating reports gives a better understanding of the activities at hand and reduces the risks of project
delays and cost overruns. The information flow from construction reporting keeps the stakeholders
informed and gives them psychological comfort in enjoying the smooth workflow of a project.
Construction reports also minimize safety concerns as issues are spotted and documented early enough
before worsening.
  TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION REPORTS

There are various kinds of construction reports covering different project activities. Most construction
reports can be grouped into multiple categories, as shown below.

1. MATERIALS REPORT

Advancements in technology have brought about new technologies that contractors can adopt in
construction. Therefore, material reports give construction companies insights into materials that offer
better cost savings and provide a longer lifespan. Various organizations provide information on these
construction material reports, and construction firms need to enroll in them to get these services.

2. TREND REPORT

Trend reports are standard in the construction industry, and they give information on different
construction types and whether their adoption is increasing or decreasing in the market. Various
websites update construction trend reports, and if contractors want to be privy to such information, they
need to subscribe to the websites.  Most of these reports are produced on an annual basis, and they give
good overviews of the latest trends and market dynamics.

3. COST REPORT

These are construction reports that inform a client and other concerned parties on the magnitude of a
project's predicted and actual costs. Cost consultants such as quantity surveyors or contractors generally
prepare cost reports. The project is then built according to the cost report presented to the client. These
reports are updated regularly to keep project costs in check. Cost reports constantly evolve throughout a
project's lifecycle. Therefore, the level of detail and accuracy improves as the availability of information
increases in the project's life.

4. THE DAILY REPORT (OR PROGRESS REPORT)

Daily reports are some of the essential aspects of project management. Just as it sounds, a daily report
outlines activities in a project daily. Daily reports supplement a contract by documenting and verifying
the progress of a project. 

These reports explain the details of the site and keep the stakeholders informed. In case of any delays,
daily reports document the circumstances that caused it, thus eliminating the time spent arguing back and
forth over the surrounding details. Typically, the construction manager or foreman prepares the daily
report.

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN A DAILY REPORT

The daily report is critical in construction as it documents the project's overall success. The field notes
and list of activities accomplished each day make people aware of activities' progress. Below are some of
the things you need to include in your daily report:

 Job Details: This section should include project specifics such as the date, job name, job type, and
job number. Usually, it also has a brief description of the job.
 Material, labor, and equipment log: It is best to record the members present on site. This makes it
easy to solve any arising problems with attendance or payroll. The construction report also
documents the materials on-site and the amounts used. Knowing these quantities helps the
stakeholders understand the progress of the project. The information also accounts for all
machinery on-site and the number of hours used.
 Material deliveries: The construction manager should record any new material deliveries to the
site. The information here should include the type of material, and the quantities delivered. If a
material was scheduled for delivery but not delivered, it should be recorded as a potential delay
event.
 Meetings: Sometimes, construction meetings occur off-site. However, when they occur on-site,
the session should be recorded, and the decisions arrived at on the panel. Even if there were no
critical deliberations, the construction manager should note that the meeting happened and include
the names of the people in attendance.
 Site conditions: The construction report should log the site conditions and outline the weather
aspects such as wind speeds, precipitation, and temperature.
 Potential risks: The daily report needs to outline risks and causes for possible delays.
 Accidents: The priority for all contractors is safety. However, it is essential to report it in an
incident. This will help when averting similar incidents in the future.
 The work accomplished is the most critical aspect of the construction report as it outlines work
progress. It should include individual tasks as well as the overall project progress.

 Date: The date that the information pertains to, which should also be the date
that the report is written and submitted.
 Weather conditions: The weather conditions for that day, as it will show why
certain tasks weren’t completed or why everyone left the job site early or
arrived late.
 The condition of the construction site: The physical conditions of the job site,
which may have affected how much work got done on that day.
 Overview of resources: The resources that were available and unavailable on
that day. This list may include employees, equipment, and materials.
 Type and status for the job performed on the field: The work that was
performed and the status for each job.
 List of disruptions/delays: A list of any disruptions or delays that occurred on
that day.
 Inventory checklist: The inventory checklist that will show what is in stock and
what may be arriving later than planned.
 Upcoming risks: The potential risks for future delays, so that everyone can
work to avoid these problems.
 Safety and environment-related issues: Any incidents that occurred, whether
safety-related or environment related. The employees’ name, as well as
specific details and photos, should also be included.
  THE IMPORTANCE OF A CONSTRUCTION REPORT
1. Protection in Disputes
When faced with disagreements and disputes having a trail of documents to refer back to as
evidence protects yourself, your team and your company. Daily logs explain events through facts and
give insight into site conditions around a particular dispute. Factual information based on a trail of
evidence in the daily report shows the roles, responsibilities and accountability surrounding any dispute.
It is important to keep daily reports long after the completion of a project as problems may be discovered
months or even years later. When you record obstacles, non-conformances and their resolution it proves
due diligence on behalf of the site manager. Showing that you communicated the necessary information
and took the necessary steps to resolve any problems. Indicating that these events were indeed
communicated with shareholders, clients or contractors. That is why daily reports offer protection from
contractual risks, small/large court cases and commercial/scheduling claims.

2. Daily Reports Benefit Your Client

Above all your client wants to see value for their investment. Construction is costly and time-
consuming often with high risks, tight deadlines and rigid budgets. These conditions make
communication paramount. Clients want to know that every care is being taken and progress is being
made. Construction daily reports are used to report the current situation back to clients or investors.
Which serves to prove that work has been completed on their behalf. They are a tool for communicating
progress and proving completed work throughout the project. This is especially true when it is necessary
to explain steps that were taken or need to be taken for successful completion. Clients do not always
understand the construction process and sometimes need to understand why, for example, a particular
phase takes a certain amount of time or needs an added measure of care. Ideally having daily logs
supported by photographic evidence is the best way to demonstrate procedures.

3. Keeping Track of Activities

Although it can be easily overlooked it is important to note that one person cannot remember
everything. When dealing with highly complex projects it is impossible to keep track of every working
team, contractor, activity or material on site. Daily reports are a management tool that retains information
about what happened daily. They should include all the relevant information that might be needed in the
future for example contact details, responsibilities, or material quantities. Keeping track of verbal
agreements, the number of operatives, work hours, health and safety, quality, observations, dates,
weather, tasks, working locations and activities aids site managers in their day-to-day operations.
These notes provide a narrative that can be referred back to for the improvement of future
projects, better insight into current projects and overall project management. These notes are used to
increase your company’s performance. Because daily reports are used to assess teams or tasks they are
vital in planning to accommodate for variances, delays or changes.

4. Productivity, Performance and Insight

Detailed notes provide facts about what is and isn’t working. Showing the speed of progress
between tasks, teams and work phases which gives clear insight into obstacles and possible
improvements. For example, knowing the average amount of time it takes for your team to complete a
specific task means that you have a more accurate timeframe for future planning. Also allowing you to
restructure your workforce and make project adjustments to improve productivity. Small changes can
have a big impact such as changing the construction vehicle that carries materials to your site can cut
costs and increase productivity.
Daily reports are official documents that record verbal agreements and discussions which happened
during site visits, meetings or daily operations. New contractors or employees need daily reports to aid
their understanding of a current project. This is why they need to be comprehensive and well written to
speed up the transition process for newcomers.
Moreover, construction projects consist of multiple disciplines that work together with highly
complex coordination. Daily reports show how these disciplines interact positively or negatively with
each other which can greatly improve the overall smoothness of project delivery. Making sure that the
work of one discipline is completed promptly and does not interfere with the work of other teams all
improve your performance and adds value to your operations.

 HOW TO MAKE REPORTING EASIER

Construction reporting sometimes seems like a daunting task, but it is easy to compile quality
construction reports properly. Projects differ from one another, and this, by extension, leaves some
wiggle room in construction reporting. Below are some techniques you can apply to make your
construction reporting easier.

1. MAKE THEM DIGITAL

Daily reports are standard practice in construction. Having a way to fill them quickly can save you a lot
of time and money. You can leverage technology using construction software like Proest that streamlines
the process. Logging daily events reduce the wastes from paper

2. MAKE THEM DATA-DRIVEN

 It is vital to generate reports in a fast and straightforward manner. You can do this using simple, reliable
tools. For instance, it should be possible to create a PDF report and share it with the project stakeholders
in real-time. Using a data-driven approach also makes it easy to share photos and videos in real-time,
giving a better understanding of what occurred on site. It also makes it possible to filter data based on
specific periods and generate project reports. Such information also makes it easy to ensure all
stakeholders are duly informed and on the same
3. KEEP A CLEAR AUDIT TRAIL

It would help if you had a digital solution that automatically stores your data and changes. This makes it
easy to retrieve data when it is necessary. The project team will not constantly worry about who did what
and when it occurred, as they will have a clear log of photos, comments, videos, and progress reports.
The audit trail also forms the foundation of an investigation if something goes amiss. In future budget
planning and safety compliance measures, we can refer to the audit trails.

Examples of audit trails include weather reports and daily logs. Having reliable weather information
helps us in construction planning and assessing the decisions made during a project. Daily logs record
updated project information and save time.

4. USE A TEMPLATE

You need a template with all the necessary information to collect for your project. Here you have all the
vital data outlined, and you need to fill in the individual details. Different projects have custom
requirements, and you can modify your template to meet your project requirements. You can also use the
templates to track changes and eliminate the paperwork on site.

5. BE THOROUGH

When creating construction reports, you should be thorough in your work. It would help to include all the
necessary details and not make the construction report too broad to the extent it becomes unusable. The
person responsible for the construction reports should fill them out on time. Waiting to fill a construction
report the following day leads to a lot of data loss. As the construction reports are a form of
communication, they should be concise and straightforward. They should also be transparent to deliver
all the necessary information to various team members. This makes it easy to identify and rectify
problems and record the progress.

6. RECORD SAFETY CONCERNS

One significant advantage of construction reports is that they save the stakeholders from litigation in
a construction dispute. Therefore, the construction report should have a brief account of on-site safety
conditions. If the day was quiet, the report should record no incidents. However, if safety incidents occur,
they should register them immediately and the safety measures used to rectify the problem.

7. DATA SECURITY

Big projects store data in different forms, and electronic systems and the various formats have unique
privacy and security requirements. A sound reporting system needs proper protocols and data integrity to
save the data from corruption or loss. The data storage systems should also meet regulatory requirements
and provide prompt reporting on time.

8. MINIMIZE DATA VARIANCES

Sometimes project reports have a lot of data variances. A good example can be a significant discrepancy
between the construction report and the client's accounting system. You should evaluate your data
reporting system and uncover the causes for this. One cause of data discrepancies is redundant input.
Having duplicate entries in your report and misreporting crucial data causes confusion and inaccurate
information.

Ideally, reports should be concise, written in easy-to-understand language, should be easy to navigate,

should contain only information that is necessary, and should not duplicate information that can be found
elsewhere.

SUMMARY

Construction reporting is foundational to all construction projects. However, builders battle various
problems during the construction reporting process. It is easy to relieve yourself of these burdens by
shifting from manual to digital reporting methods. Excellent and progressive reports help you plan your
tasks, see what is overdue, assess your crew and workload. Cleaner and accurate reports help you manage
the information on your project efficiently.

Construction reporting is essential for overcoming and avoiding challenges on site. It’s one of the most
important duties on a construction site. As such, it’s important to optimise this process as much as
possible for complete accuracy.