How to Review Subcontractor Daily Reports: A Routine for General Contractor Superintendents and PMs
Review subcontractor daily reports in two passes. Each day, the superintendent confirms every sub on site reported and checks headcount, work locations, delays, safety and direction against what they saw. Each week, the PM reviews manpower and hours by sub, changed work, recurring issues and what the reports will support in a pay app, change or claim. Raise problems with the sub in writing within a day, while everyone still remembers.
Collecting sub reports is half the job. A pile of unreviewed reports can hurt you: a sub's report that says "delayed by general contractor" sits in your file unanswered for months, then shows up in a claim. This guide covers what to check, how often, and what to do about what you find. For getting reports in the first place, see how to get subcontractors to submit daily reports.
The daily review (superintendent, 10 to 15 minutes)
At the end of the day or first thing the next morning:
- Who reported? Compare the subs on site today to the reports received. Follow up on missing ones the same day.
- Headcount. Does each sub's count match what you saw or your sign-in sheet?
- Work and location. Is the work specific enough to find on a drawing?
- Delays and claims. Did any sub say it was delayed, blocked or directed by the general contractor or another trade? Do you agree?
- Safety. Any incidents, near misses or hazards that need follow-up?
- Direction. Did the sub record direction from you, the architect or the owner? Is it accurate?
- Changed work. Are extra hours separated with a reference?
Anything in steps 4 to 7 that you disagree with needs a response.
The weekly review (PM, 30 to 60 minutes)
- Report compliance by sub for the week
- Manpower and hours by sub against plan and the lookahead
- Subs consistently under staffed
- Changed work hours by reference, matched to T&M tags and change requests
- Delay entries by sub and cause, and whether they were answered
- Safety items and corrective actions still open
- Claims risk: any sub building a record of general contractor-caused delay
- Pay app support: does the work reported support the percent complete billed?
For manpower trends, see construction manpower tracking.
Red flags in sub daily reports
| Red flag | Why it matters | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Same text every day | Copy and paste, nothing is really recorded | Ask for specific work and locations |
| "Crew" with no headcount | Cannot check manpower, payroll or T&M | Require headcount and hours by day |
| "Delayed by general contractor" with no detail | Builds a claim you cannot answer | Respond in writing the same day with your view |
| Hours higher than what you saw | Inflated T&M or billing | Record your own count, raise it with the sub |
| Extra work blended with base scope | Change cannot be priced or checked | Ask for separate lines and a reference |
| Reports arriving days late | Records written from memory | Set a deadline and use reminders |
| No safety section | Hazards and incidents may be missed | Require it, even if "none" |
How to give feedback
- In writing. A text or email with the date and the specific entry.
- Fast. Same day or next morning.
- Specific. "Your 10/14 report shows 8 workers on Level 2. I counted 5 at 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM." beats "your manpower is off."
- Recorded on your side. Put your observation in your own daily report. See the superintendent daily log guide.
- Never edit their report. Respond to it. Editing a sub's record looks bad in a dispute.
When the sub says you delayed them
This is the entry that matters most. If a sub's report says the general contractor or another trade delayed them, respond the same day:
- Confirm what happened, or state your disagreement with facts.
- Record your version in your daily report.
- If you agree, record what you are doing about it and whether another trade caused it.
- Tell the PM.
Unanswered delay entries tend to become accepted facts later. See daily reports for delay claims.
Set expectations at the start
Most review problems trace back to vague requirements. Put the format, content and deadline in the subcontract and the kickoff meeting. See subcontractor daily report requirements and common construction daily report mistakes.
Review checklist
- Every sub on site reported today
- Headcount and hours match what I saw
- Work described with locations
- Delay and direction entries checked and answered
- Safety items followed up
- Changed work separated with reference
- Feedback sent in writing within a day
- My own report records my observations
- Weekly PM review complete
How Cascade makes review faster
Cascade Technology is SMS-first field intelligence for general contractors and subcontractors. Superintendents and foremen text in their day, along with their subs, and Cascade builds the daily report with manpower and hours by sub. Automatic sub reminders handle the "who reported?" step, and a PM can ask in plain English, "which subs reported delays this week?" or "show electrical hours by day." Scope: Daily reports, manpower and hours by sub, photos, toolbox talks, pre-task plans (JHA), safety incidents and corrective actions, project + schedule planning, automatic sub reminders, analytics and plain-English answers.
General contractors using Cascade see 95%+ sub daily report compliance, and Venture General Contracting LLC went from about 50% to 96%+. Subcontractor access is free, onboarding and integration are free, and the general contractor plan starts with a one-month pilot with no contract lock-in. We beat Raken, Procore, and ACC on price, guaranteed. See SMS daily reports for subcontractors and the free daily report template.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a general contractor review subcontractor daily reports?
Check that every sub on site reported each day, and skim for delays, safety items and direction the same day. Do a deeper weekly review of manpower, hours, changed work and trends.
What should a superintendent check in a sub's daily report?
That it arrived, that headcount and hours match what the super saw, that work is described with locations, that delays, safety items and direction are recorded, and that changed work is separated from base scope.
What do I do when a sub report is wrong?
Tell the sub the same day or the next morning, in writing, with the specific entry and what you saw. Record your own observation in your daily report. Do not edit the sub's report yourself.
Who should review subcontractor daily reports?
The general contractor superintendent reviews daily because they saw the work. The PM reviews weekly for manpower trends, changes, claims risk and pay app support.