Daily Site Diary / Progress Report (Word)
A one-page daily progress report that records what happened on site today: the weather, the labour and machines on site, the work done with locations and quantities, the material received, instructions from the client or architect, delays and their reasons, safety observations and the plan for tomorrow. Written every day, it is the best evidence when a delay or extra item is disputed months later.
Free · no sign-up · opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, LibreOffice and WPS Office. Files contain no macros.
Preview
Real view of the file with its sample data (yellow cells are where you type).
DAILY SITE DIARY / PROGRESS REPORT
[Contractor / company name]
| Project / name of work | [ ] | Client | [ ] |
| Date | [DD-MM-YYYY] | Day No. (from start) | [ ] |
| Weather: morning | [Clear / cloudy / rain] | Weather: afternoon | [ ] |
| Working hours | [08:00 to 17:00] | Report by | [Site engineer] |
1. Manpower on site
| Trade | Agency / sub-contractor | Nos | Remarks |
| Mason | [ ] | [ ] | |
| Helper / beldar | [ ] | [ ] | |
| Carpenter (shuttering) | [ ] | [ ] | |
| Bar bender | [ ] | [ ] | |
| Electrician / plumber | [ ] | [ ] | |
| Total on site | [ ] |
2. Machinery and equipment
| Machine | Nos | Hours worked | Hours idle / reason |
| [Concrete mixer] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| [Vibrator] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
3. Work done today
| # | Activity | Location (floor / grid) | Quantity | Unit |
| 1 | [e.g. RCC slab casting M25] | [First floor, grid A-D/1-6] | [ ] | [cum] |
| 2 | ||||
4. Materials received and tests
| Material | Quantity | Supplier / challan No. | Remarks |
| [Cement OPC 53] | [ ] bags | [ ] | |
Tests done today: [slump test ___ mm; ___ cubes cast, ID ___; other]
5. Instructions received and visitors
| Time | From (name, designation) | Instruction / purpose of visit |
| [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
6. Hindrances and delays
| Hindrance (rain, drawings, power, material, client change) | From – to | Hours lost | Work affected |
| [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
7. Safety
Toolbox talk held: [Yes / No, topic] · PPE checked: [Yes / No] · Incidents or near misses: [None / details]
8. Plan for tomorrow
[Activities, labour and material needed, inspections to call]
| ____________________ | ____________________ |
| Site engineer / supervisor | Client's representative (seen) |
…
What's inside
- Project, date, day number, weather (morning and afternoon) and working hours
- Manpower table by trade and agency, with total on site
- Machinery and equipment table with hours worked and idle
- Work done today: activity, location, quantity and unit
- Materials received and tests done (slump, cube casting)
- Instructions received, visitors, hindrances and delays with hours lost, safety observations, plan for tomorrow and signatures
How to use it
- Open the file in Word, Google Docs or LibreOffice and type your project name and contractor name at the top. Save it as your master copy.
- Each evening, open the master, save it with the date in the name (for example Site-Diary-2026-11-02) and fill in the day's details.
- Take the manpower numbers from your labour register and the material deliveries from the material register.
- Write every instruction from the client, architect or engineer with the name of the person who gave it.
- Print, sign and get it countersigned by the client's engineer if they are on site; file it day by day.
Tips
- Write hindrances the same day with the hours lost (rain, no drawings, power cut, client changes): they are the basis for an extension of time.
- Add two or three photos to the file when something important happens, such as reinforcement before a slab pour.
- Number the days from the start of work so it is easy to compare with the schedule.
Questions and answers
Who should write the site diary?
The site engineer or supervisor in charge for the day. The client's representative can countersign it to agree the facts.
Is a site diary the same as a measurement book?
No. The diary records daily events and progress; the measurement book records exact measurements for billing. Use the RA Bill & Measurement Book workbook for that.
Can I fill it on a phone?
Yes. The .docx file opens in the Word and Google Docs apps on phones, and you can share the day's report as PDF.