Working aid
Site diary template: the daily report that still holds up years later
The site diary is a basic service of HOAI service phase 8 and the first document experts ask for. This template brings the sections that belong in it — and three completed site days show what an entry looks like that counts in a dispute.
Working aid by Open Experience GmbH. Version: September 2026
What belongs in the daily report of the site diary?
A daily report records for each site day: date and weather, companies present with headcount, work carried out with location, equipment in use, deliveries with delivery note number, inspections and meetings, disruptions and stoppages with times, instructions and decisions with addressee and deadline, plus special incidents and the numbers of the day's photos. What matters is not the fields but three properties: kept continuously, written promptly and linked to photos and attachments. A diary reconstructed weeks later loses its evidential value — that is exactly what courts and experts check first.
Legal framework: Germany (Civil Code BGB, construction contract rules VOB/B, fee schedule HOAI). Other countries have different rules, and contractual agreements take precedence over the standard periods named here.
Download the daily report template
Blank form for one site day in ten sections, as Word to fill in and as PDF to print. One report per site day; the numbering runs consecutively.
Non-binding sample, not legal advice. Which sections your contract requires is set out in the contract; notices of disruption and instructions do not replace the diary — they are only documented in it. Legal basis: Germany.
How to keep the site diary with this template
- Every site day, on the same dayThe report is written on site or immediately afterwards — not on Friday for the whole week. The date of creation is the most important proof of continuity.
- Facts, not judgements"Window sash does not close, gasket crushed" instead of "window installed defectively". What was visible, when and where — causes and blame do not belong in the diary.
- Times for everything that triggers deadlinesDisruptions, instructions, deliveries, accidents: the time is what turns the entry into evidence later. A disruption without start and end can hardly be quantified.
- Number the photos and cite themEvery entry that has a photo cites its number. That keeps the report tied to the image archive — even when both are searched for separately in five years' time.
- Keep internal and external apartCost assessments, queries to specialist designers and your own judgements belong in the internal part. The external version for the client contains facts. The template has a marker per report for this; anyone keeping both in one form marks internal lines with "(i)".
Continuous, prompt, linked — these three properties separate a piece of evidence from a recollection.
Part 1 — Header of the daily report
Assigns the report to the project and the day. The consecutive number reveals gaps immediately.
- Project[Name, address, project number]
- Site dayNo. [consecutive] — [weekday], [date]; working hours on site from [time] to [time]
- Report type☐ Daily report (all trades) ☐ Partial report trade [trade] ☐ Subcontractor report [company]
- Version☐ internal (with assessments and queries) ☐ external (version for the client) — version [no.], as of [date, time]
- Prepared by[Name, function, e.g. site supervision / contractor's site manager]
Part 2 — Weather
The weather explains progress and disruptions. Measured values beat impressions; an official weather source as an attachment is worth its weight in gold in a dispute.
- Temperaturemorning [°C] · midday [°C] · afternoon [°C] (source: ☐ on-site measurement ☐ weather service [name])
- Precipitation and wind☐ dry ☐ rain from [time] to [time] ☐ snow ☐ frost ☐ storm/wind [force]
- Effect on the works[Which works were stopped or restricted, from when, with what reasoning — reference to Part 7 if a disruption was notified]
Part 3 — Site staffing
Who was there with how many people? Headcount later substantiates progress, the consequences of disruptions and daywork.
| Company / trade | Persons | of which supervisors (foreman, chargehand) | Activity / work location | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Company / trade] | [Number] | [Number] | [Element, grid line, storey] | [e.g. withdrawn from 12:00] |
The form contains blank rows. Carry values over from the previous day, but check them every day — a copied staffing table is the most common reason a diary is judged unreliable in court.
Part 4 — Inspections and meetings
Every inspection with time, participants in their role and the outcome. Approvals before elements are closed up belong here — with photo number.
| Time | Occasion | Participants (role) | Outcome / approval | Photo no. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Time] | [e.g. reinforcement inspection slab above ground floor, grid lines 1–3] | [Site supervision, shell foreman] | [approved / not approved, conditions] | [No.] |
Part 5 — Work done today
What was carried out today and where? With location and quantity, the state of progress can later be traced day by day — the basis of every discussion about construction time.
| Trade | Work | Location / element / grid line | Quantity | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Trade] | [Work, bill item] | [Storey, grid line, room] | [Quantity, unit] | [Progress in %, remaining work] |
Part 6 — Equipment and deliveries
Major plant with operating time, deliveries with time and delivery note number. Both substantiate the construction sequence, standstills and quantities.
| Type | Description | Number / quantity | Time or operation from–to | Delivery note no. / remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ Equipment ☐ Delivery | [e.g. tower crane / ready-mixed concrete C30/37] | [1 / 24 m³] | [07:00–16:30 / 09:40] | [No., supplier, rejected yes/no] |
Part 7 — Disruptions and stoppages
The section with the highest value in dispute. Start, end, cause, affected works — and whether a notice of disruption under § 6 (1) VOB/B was given. The diary entry does not replace the notice.
| From – to | Type / cause | Affected works and companies | Notice under § 6 VOB/B | Remark / attachment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Time – time] | [e.g. missing drawing approval, weather, preceding work not finished] | [Work, trade, persons] | ☐ yes, by [company] on [date, time] ☐ no | [Letter no., photo] |
Part 8 — Instructions, directions, decisions
Instructions by the client (§ 4 (1) no. 3 VOB/B) and decisions by site supervision with addressee, drawing reference and deadline. Given orally, recorded here in writing — in a dispute that is the only trace.
| No. | Addressee | Content (with drawing revision) | Deadline | Photo / attachment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Consecutive no.] | [Company, person] | [What is to be done, to which drawing and revision] | [Date or "immediately"] | [No.] |
Part 9 — Special incidents, safety, samples
Accidents and near misses, occupational safety, samples and tests, visits by authorities — everything that does not fit the tables but will be asked about later.
- Accidents / near misses[Time, persons involved (role), sequence of events, immediate action, reported to — ☐ none]
- Occupational safety[Deficiencies found, actions taken, reported to the safety coordinator — ☐ no findings]
- Samples and tests[e.g. concrete cube no., leak test, measurement record — with attachment no.]
- Photos of the dayNo. [from] to [to] — storage location [project file / system]
- Other[Visits by authorities, neighbour complaints, theft, vandalism — time and report]
Part 10 — Approval and distribution
The report is finished when it has been approved and distributed. A new version never replaces the old one — it is added to it.
- Prepared[Name, function] — [date, time], signature
- Approved[Name, function] — [date], signature ☐ version [no.] supersedes version [no.] (reason: [correction])
- Distribution☐ Project file ☐ Client (external version) ☐ Subcontractor [company] — sent on [date], by [e-mail / system / hand-over]
- Attachments☐ Photos ☐ Delivery notes ☐ Notice of disruption ☐ Daywork sheets (§ 15 (3) VOB/B) ☐ Measurement records ☐ [others]
Download the completed example
Three consecutive site days of a fictitious shell construction — a normal day, a day with a disruption, a day with an instruction and a near miss. Every row explains why it is written the way it is.
The sample project is invented: new nursery school on Musterweg, Musterstraße 1, 00000 Musterstadt, companies named only by trade and letter. Figures are plausible but made up.
Site day 37 — Monday, 21 Sept 2026: a normal day
Dry weather, two companies on site, one approval before concreting. This is what a report looks like that reports nothing special — and still substantiates everything later.
| Section | Entry in the report | Why it counts |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | morning 9 °C, midday 16 °C, dry, light wind (source: weather service, Musterstadt station) | The source makes the value verifiable; without it, it is one word against another. |
| Staffing | Shell contractor A: 8 persons (1 foreman, 7 skilled workers), slab above ground floor; electrical contractor B: 2 persons, conduits in ground-floor slab | Headcount per company and work location — the basis for every later discussion about construction time and daywork. |
| Inspection | 10:30 reinforcement inspection slab above ground floor, grid lines 1–3, with shell foreman A: position, diameters, spacers and concrete cover checked, approved; photos 112–118 | Approval before concreting with photo numbers: once concreted, the reinforcement can never be checked again. |
| Work done | Shell A: slab formwork grid lines 5–8 (about 120 m²), reinforcement grid lines 1–3 complete; electrical B: conduits in ground-floor slab grid lines 1–3 laid, checked before pouring | Location and quantity per item make progress traceable day by day. |
| Deliveries | 09:40 reinforcing steel 4.2 t, delivery note 4711-0921, accepted; 13:15 formwork material, delivery note 88-217, accepted | Time and delivery note number link the diary, the delivery note and the invoice check. |
| Equipment | Tower crane 1 (07:00–16:30), compactors 2 | Operating times later substantiate standstills and plant provision. |
| Remark (internal) | (i) Query to structural engineer regarding opening D-07 (slab above ground floor, grid 3/B) open since 18 Sept; no concreting of grid line 3 without an answer | Your own queries and risk assessments stay in the internal report — the client report states only the fact once it has consequences. |
| Photos / approval | Photos 109–121; prepared 21 Sept 2026 17:10 site supervision, approved 21 Sept 2026 17:40 | Creation on the same day is the proof of continuity. |
Site day 38 — Tuesday, 22 Sept 2026: disruption due to weather
Heavy rain interrupts the concrete pour. The report records start, end, consequences and the notice — without judging who bears the consequences.
| Section | Entry in the report | Why it counts |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | morning 2 °C, midday 7 °C; heavy rain from 10:50, continuing until 15:30; wind 6 Bft (weather service, Musterstadt station) | Onset and intensity are the basis for the question of whether the weather was exceptional. |
| Staffing | Shell A: 8 persons until 11:30, then 3 (securing, covering); electrical B: not present | The reduction from 11:30 quantifies the consequence of the disruption. |
| Disruption | 11:20–end of day: concrete pour slab above ground floor grid lines 1–3 aborted after 1st truck because of heavy rain; 2 trucks of ready-mixed concrete rejected (delivery notes 5020-0922, 5021-0922); resumption planned 23 Sept. Notice of disruption under § 6 (1) VOB/B from shell A received in writing at 12:05 (attachment 38-1) | From–to, affected work, traces of consequential cost (rejections) and the notice with time — the entry quantifies the disruption without judging it. |
| Work done | Shell A: slab formwork grid lines 5–8 continued (until 10:50), reinforcement grid lines 1–3 covered with sheeting | What was achieved despite the disruption belongs in just as much. |
| Deliveries | 10:35 ready-mixed concrete C30/37, 8 m³, delivery note 5019-0922, placed; 11:05 and 11:30 8 m³ each, delivery notes 5020/5021-0922, rejected (rain) | Rejected deliveries with numbers: exactly these invoices will be disputed later. |
| Instruction | No. 06 to shell A, 11:25: cover fresh concrete grid line 1 against rain, ensure curing; deadline immediately; photo 124 | Addressee, time, content, deadline, photo — an oral instruction thus becomes a documented direction. |
| Remark (external) | Construction schedule will be updated after the concrete pour resumes (as of 23 Sept) | The external version states the fact; the cost consequence is in the internal part. |
| Remark (internal) | (i) Clarify cost consequence of the rejections: ordered by shell A despite rain forecast — responsibility open | The assessment stays internal until it is clarified; in the diary it is dated, not backdated. |
Site day 39 — Wednesday, 23 Sept 2026: instruction and near miss
Concrete pour caught up, an opening changed on instruction, a missing fall guard discovered. Three entries, each of which justifies a file of its own.
| Section | Entry in the report | Why it counts |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | morning 5 °C, midday 12 °C, dry, light wind (weather service, Musterstadt station) | Substantiates that the pour on 23 Sept was possible without weather risk. |
| Inspection | 08:00 inspection with the client's representative (building management office) and shell foreman A: reinforcement grid lines 1–3 checked after rain, sheeting removed, approved; photos 126–129 | Renewed approval after the interruption — without it the pour would have no documented starting condition. |
| Instruction | No. 07 to shell A, 08:20: form opening D-07 (slab above ground floor, grid 3/B) before pouring to drawing S-203 revision c (structural engineer's answer of 22 Sept on file, attachment 39-1); deadline before start of pour; photo 130 | Drawing revision and the attachment make the instruction unambiguous — a later variation claim can be measured against it. |
| Work done | Shell A: concrete pour slab above ground floor grid lines 1–3, 48 m³ C30/37, 09:30–13:10; cube samples no. 12–14 taken; slab formwork grid lines 5–8 complete | Quantity, period and sample numbers: for later questions about the concrete this is the only link between sample and element. |
| Incident | 10:40 near miss: fall guard at stairwell opening 1st floor missing, skilled worker shell A slipped, not injured; immediate action guardrail added 10:55, photo 131; reported to safety coordinator 11:10 | Time, sequence without names, immediate action, report — complete and without blame. |
| Deliveries | 09:20–12:40 ready-mixed concrete 6 trucks of 8 m³ each, delivery notes 5031–5036-0923, all placed | Truck sequence and numbers confirm the quantity placed. |
| Remark (internal) | (i) Fall guard: shell A reminded of its duty to provide protection under the site safety regulations; daily check until end of shell construction | The consequence is documented — and the checking rhythm against which site supervision itself will be measured. |
| Photos / approval | Photos 126–138; prepared 23 Sept 2026 16:50, approved 23 Sept 2026 17:20; external version sent to client 17:30 via system | Time and channel of dispatch: the client cannot later claim to have known nothing about the near miss. |
What makes the evidential value
Continuous
Every site day has a number, including days without work ("no site operations, public holiday"). Gaps raise doubts about the whole.
Prompt
Prepared on the same day, with timestamp. Added later is added later — and is treated as such.
Linked
Photo numbers, delivery note numbers, attachment numbers. The report is the key to the archive.
Separated
Facts external, assessments internal. Anyone who mixes the two hands the client their own doubts in writing.
Signed
Author and approver with name and function. A new version adds, it never overwrites.
How this happens on the side
Weather automatic, staffing carried over from the previous day, photos from the gallery, approval with version — the report writes itself during the work.
The daily report that writes itself
In Construction Diary the sections of this template are the input fields: the weather comes automatically from the weather service, the staffing is carried over from the previous day and checked, photos are taken from Construction Photos, every report carries timestamp, version and approval — and the internal and external versions are produced from the same entries, marked field by field. The combined PDF per week or month is the file an expert wants to see.
Frequently asked questions
Who has to keep the site diary — site supervision or the contractor?
Both, for different purposes. Site supervision owes the documentation of the construction process as a basic service of service phase 8 (HOAI Annex 10.1, letter e). The executing company keeps its own site diary to substantiate progress, disruptions and daywork. The template suits both; report type and distribution differ.
Is the entry in the site diary sufficient as a notice of disruption?
No. The notice under § 6 (1) VOB/B is a separate written declaration by the contractor to the client. The diary documents that and when it was given — and supplies the facts for it.
May I add to the diary afterwards?
Add yes, alter no. An addition gets its own date and a new version; the old version is retained. A report written or rewritten weeks later counts as reconstructed.
Do I have to name individual workers?
As a rule, no. Headcount per company and the role ("foreman", "skilled worker") are enough; names are needed only where a person acts in a legally relevant way, for instance in an instruction or a signature. That also protects personal data.
How long must the site diary be kept?
At least until the limitation periods for defect claims expire — four or five years after acceptance — and considerably longer because of possible subsequent liability. The combined version per month is handier for this than a hundred individual files.
May I adapt the template and pass it on?
Yes, that is what the Word version is for. Keep the source and version when you pass it on.
Sources and legal basis
The legal statements in this article are based on the primary sources listed below. The article is not a substitute for legal advice in an individual case.
- HOAI, Annex 10 — No. 10.1, service phase 8, letter e: documentation of the construction process (e.g. site diary)
- VOB/B (2016 edition), official text of the BMWSB — § 4 (1) no. 3 (client's instructions), § 6 (1) (notice of disruption), § 15 (3) (daywork sheets)
- § 650b BGB — Modification of the contract; the client's right to issue instructions
A diary that is finished by the evening.
In 45 minutes we show the daily report in a real workflow — from the weather and the staffing to the approved version for the client.