Why keep a daily log?
The daily log documents, day by day, what happened on the construction site. It serves as evidence in disputes over deadlines, delays and change orders, as a basis for billing and as a memory for everyone involved. For construction supervision by architects and engineers, keeping a daily log is part of the usual services; for contractors carrying out the work, it is simply insurance against later disputes.
What belongs in the construction daily log?
| Entry | Why |
|---|---|
| Date and construction site | Clear assignment of every entry. |
| Weather, temperature, precipitation | Proves weather-related delays and lost days. |
| Fit for work | Could work be done – yes or no? |
| Personnel on site | Number and trades, or names, of those present. |
| Work performed | Which work was carried out, and where? |
| Deliveries and materials | What was delivered when – or was missing? |
| Special events | Delays, instructions, plan changes, visits. |
| Safety incidents | Accidents, near misses, safety deficiencies. |
| Author | Who created the entry? |
Paper, Excel or app?
The paper book in the site trailer gets lost, is illegible or is filled in from memory in the evening. Excel sits in the office instead of on the site. A construction daily log app, by contrast, is where the work happens: on a smartphone or tablet, the foreman records the day in a few minutes, the office sees the entry immediately, and all entries for a construction site can be searched and filtered at any time.
How to keep a daily log with Maintably
- Create the construction site. Under Construction sites (Baustellen), enter the project number, name, type of construction, construction phase, owner, construction manager, foreman and address.
- Put the app on your smartphone. Open Maintably in the browser and add it to the home screen using "Install as app" (Als App installieren).
- Create the daily entry. Under Daily log (Bautagebuch), click "New" (Neu): choose the construction site and date, select the weather, enter temperatures and precipitation, confirm "fit for work."
- Describe personnel and work. Number and names or trades of those present, then the work performed – short but specific: "Slab reinforcement above ground floor, axes A–C, placed."
- Add deliveries and special events. Enter deliveries, delays, instructions from construction management and safety incidents in their own fields – not everything in one text box.
- Enter the author and save. Done. With the filters for construction site and weather, you can find any day again later.
Connecting the daily log and punch list management
Many entries in the daily log have a consequence: a defect that has to be corrected. In Maintably, defects and the daily log sit on the same construction site. You document photos directly on the defect – with location, trade, deadline and status through to acceptance.
What to look for in a construction daily log app
- Are all the usual required entries provided as separate fields – not just one big text box?
- Does recording work on a smartphone and tablet without detours?
- Can several construction sites and users with permissions be managed?
- Is there punch list management in the same software?
- Does the data remain usable after handover, when the construction site becomes a building in operation?