How to Fill Out a Daily Report on a Federal Construction Contract
The daily report is the job's diary. On a federal contract it is also a record that can decide a dispute, a delay claim, or a payment question weeks after the fact. That is why primes care how it is filled out — and why a subcontractor who does it well is valuable.
The essentials
- Header: date, contract number, project title and location, report number.
- Weather: morning and afternoon conditions, plus high and low temperature. Weather drives delay and productivity questions, so record it daily.
- Work performed: where the work happened and what was done, with each crew's employer, number of workers, trade, and hours.
- Safety: whether a safety meeting was held, any lost-time accidents or near misses, high or trenching or scaffold work, and the safety actions taken.
- Hours totals: hours that day, cumulative hours from prior reports, and hours from start of construction.
- Equipment and materials: what arrived and what equipment was on site.
- Remarks and signature: anything the next reader needs, signed and dated.
Why accuracy protects you
A daily report that is consistent with your certified payroll and your safety records is a shield. Record facts, not opinions, and write delays and issues down the day they happen.