Site Pal Guides
Practical guides on site records, diaries and disputes — written by a senior construction manager.
What Does a Good Site Diary Look Like?
The complete UK guide to site diaries: what to record, how to write entries, NEC4 records, retention periods, digital vs paper, and the mistakes that cost money.
What should a delay record include?
What a construction delay record needs to stand up in a claim — dates, reasons, responsibility, and GPS-stamped photo evidence.
How to write a site diary entry
What to record in a daily site diary, why facts beat opinions, and the details that make your diary stand up when there's a dispute.
Free site diary template
Download a free daily site diary template in PDF, Word or Excel — covers labour, progress, deliveries, instructions, delays and photos, with a sign-off that stands up in a dispute.
The Best Site Diary Apps in 2026
An honest comparison of the main site diary apps — prices, features, and who each one actually suits.
Best site diary apps for solo UK contractors (2026)
The apps that make sense when you're one person paying your own way — prices, features, and which one actually writes the diary for you.
Site Pal vs Site Audit Pro (2026)
A head-to-head on price, features, offline, signatures and which one actually writes the diary for you — written by someone who built one of them.
Site Pal vs Field View (2026)
Field View is the forms platform your main contractor mandates. Site Pal writes the report. What each one actually does, and why you might use both.
Site Pal vs Procore (2026)
Procore runs the whole project. Site Pal writes your site diary. What each costs, who each is for, and why a subbie probably needs neither.
Site Pal vs Fieldwire (2026)
Fieldwire is drawings and tasks for a team. Site Pal writes the record. What each does, what each costs, and which suits one person on their own.
Site Pal vs Dashpivot (2026)
Dashpivot digitises your forms. Site Pal writes the record for you. Real prices, and which one suits one person paying their own way.
Site Pal vs CompanyCam (2026)
CompanyCam organises your site photos. Site Pal turns them into a written record. What each does, what each costs, and which a UK contractor needs.
Free daywork sheet template
A free printable daywork sheet template with the fields that actually get you paid — labour, plant, materials, instruction, signature. Plus how to fill one in properly.
Construction Daily Report Example (UK)
A full worked example of a UK daily report, section by section, and why each part matters in a dispute.
Construction Progress Report Example (UK)
A worked example of a UK progress report, and the fastest way to produce one.
AI in Construction for Site Managers (2026)
What AI actually does for construction site managers in 2026 — verified stats from Autodesk and McKinsey, what it can and can't do, and how to test it in one day.