Guides / How to keep a site diary that stands up in a dispute
How to keep a site diary that stands up in a dispute
Updated 18 October 2026
A site diary is the day-by-day record of what actually happened on the job. Most days nobody reads it. Then a delay, a defect or a payment row comes up months later, and the diary is the first thing everyone asks for.
There's no law that says you must keep one, but most building contracts expect good records, and a diary written at the time is far more convincing than one pieced together afterwards. Here's how to keep one that's worth having.
Why it matters
When there's an argument about why the job ran late or who caused a problem, people remember things differently. A dated record written on the day settles it far faster than anyone's memory.
If you need to ask for more time or money, the strength of the claim usually comes down to the records behind it. A diary that shows the delay, when it started and what it stopped you doing is often the difference between a claim that's agreed and one that isn't.
What to record every day
You don't need an essay. A few lines under each heading, every day, is enough.
- Weather, and whether it stopped any work.
- Who was on site: your own people, each subcontractor and how many of them.
- What work was done, and where.
- Deliveries: what arrived, what was late, what was wrong or damaged.
- Visitors and inspections: who came, why, and anything they said or asked for.
- Instructions you were given, especially spoken ones, and who gave them.
- Delays and problems: what happened, when, and what it held up.
- Accidents, near misses and anything reported.
- Plant on site, and any breakdowns.
How to write entries that hold up
- Write it on the day. An entry made the same day is worth far more than one written up at the end of the week.
- Stick to facts. "Scaffold not ready on level 3, 4 bricklayers stood down from 10:00" is better than "scaffolders let us down again".
- Be specific: times, places, names, numbers.
- Write down spoken instructions straight away, then confirm them in writing.
- Add photos. A dated photo of a flooded excavation says more than a paragraph.
- Don't go back and rewrite old entries. If something was wrong, add a new note that corrects it.
- Keep it every day, including the quiet ones. Gaps make the whole record look less reliable.
Paper or digital?
A paper diary works until it gets wet, lost or left in someone's van. It's also slow to search when you need every entry about one problem.
A digital diary is dated automatically, holds photos and files alongside the entry, can be searched in seconds and can be exported for a client or a claim. Whichever you use, the habit matters more than the tool: a few lines every day.
A two-minute daily checklist
- Weather and its effect on work
- Labour on site, by company
- Work done today
- Deliveries in and problems with them
- Visitors, inspections and instructions
- Delays, and what they held up
- Incidents and near misses
- Photos attached
Keeping your site diary in Sitro
Sitro's Site Diary logs entries against the day they happened, with your own categories such as deliveries, weather and visitors, photos and files attached, reminders for follow-ups, a search across every entry and PDF export by date range for a claim or the client. It works on your phone on site.
- Site Diary: The day-by-day record of the job, with a calendar for each category, reminders and attachments.
- Photo Reports: Numbered photo reports for snags, progress and inspections, exported as branded PDFs.
- Files: A cloud drive for every project, with drawing and photo markup and folder ZIP export.
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Questions
Is a site diary a legal requirement in the UK?
No law requires one, but building contracts expect good records, and a diary kept at the time is one of the most useful records you can have.
Who should keep the site diary?
Usually the site manager, or whoever runs the site day to day. What matters most is that one person owns it and keeps it every day.
How long should I keep site diaries?
Keep them at least as long as a claim could be made on the job. Ask your company or your legal adviser for the period that applies to your contracts.
This guide is general information, not legal advice.