A site diary (also daily construction report) is the chronological, working-day documentation of all essential events on a construction site: weather, companies and workers present, work performed, deliveries, instructions and special occurrences. It serves as central evidence in disputes about construction sequence, disruptions and defects.
What belongs in the site diary?
- Date, weather and temperatures — relevant for weather-related delays and warranty questions
- Companies present and workforce per trade
- Work performed with location and building element
- Material deliveries and equipment use
- Instructions, notices of concern and disruptions
- Special occurrences: accidents, damage, visits, acceptances
- Photos with timestamp — especially before covering up concealed building elements
Who has to keep a site diary?
Depending on the contract: the local site supervision (for planners, as part of construction supervision services), the contractor, or both in parallel. Even without a contractual obligation: whoever documents nothing can prove nothing in a dispute — the site diary is the cheapest legal insurance on a construction site.
Paper, Excel or app — which is better?
The classic paper site diary has three problems: it is written from memory in the evening, it is not searchable, and it gets lost. A digital site diary solves all three: entries are created right on site via smartphone (photo, voice note, pin on the drawing), stored audit-proof with timestamps and searchable in seconds.
Rule of thumb: a site diary entry written only in the evening at the office is worth half as much — details are missing, photos are unassigned, and the evidential value suffers.
Keeping a digital site diary with XBuild
In XBuild the site diary writes itself as a by-product: the day’s tickets, photos and notes are automatically compiled into print-ready reports — including a complete activity log. With XBuild Mobile this also works fully offline.
Frequently asked questions: site diary
Is a site diary mandatory?
There is no general statutory obligation, but one often arises from the contract (e.g. construction supervision service specifications) or from tender conditions. Either way, it is the most important piece of evidence in a dispute.
How long must a site diary be kept?
Recommended: at least for the entire warranty period — in practice 5–10 years after acceptance.
Can I keep a site diary digitally?
Yes — digital site diaries with timestamps and an audit-proof history are recognized and carry evidential weight. What matters is traceability and immutability of the entries.