Construction issue log: track site problems to closure
A construction issue log is a single list of the problems that affect the work, from a clash on site to a late delivery, each with an owner, a priority, a due date and a record of how it was closed. Keep it current, review the oldest and highest-priority issues first, and close an issue only when the fix is verified.
What is a construction issue log?
An issue log records problems that affect cost, time, quality or safety and need someone to act: a service clash, damaged material, a missing access route, a subcontractor who has not started, or a quality defect found during work. It differs from a snag list, which records defects to fix before handover, from an RFI log, which records questions to the design team, and from a risk register, which records things that might happen. An issue has already happened.
The issue log columns
| Column | What to record |
|---|---|
| Issue ID | A unique reference, such as IS-027 |
| Date raised and by | When and who found it |
| Location | Area, floor and gridline |
| Description | What is wrong, in plain words, with a photo |
| Category | Quality, safety, design, material, access or programme |
| Priority | For example critical, high, medium or low, agreed in advance |
| Impact | What work is affected and how |
| Owner | The named person who must act |
| Due date | When it must be resolved |
| Action taken | What was done |
| Verified by and date | Who checked the fix on site |
| Status | Open, in progress, resolved or closed |
Agree what each priority means
Priorities only help if everyone reads them the same way. Agree definitions at the start, for example critical for anything unsafe or stopping work today, high for anything that will stop work within days, medium for anything affecting quality or cost that can be planned, and low for minor items. Your project may use different levels; what matters is that they are written down and used consistently.
Keep issues moving
- Log the issue the day it is found, with a photo and location.
- Assign one named owner and a due date, not a team.
- Follow up before the due date and record each follow-up.
- Separate resolved, the owner says it is fixed, from closed, someone has verified it on site.
- Review open issues weekly, oldest and highest priority first.
- Escalate anything critical the same day, outside the weekly cycle.
A worked example
Illustrative example: during installation a stone panel is found fitted in the wrong position. It is logged as a quality issue with a photo, high priority because the next trade is waiting, owned by the installing subcontractor with a two-day due date. The subcontractor refits the panel, marks it resolved, and the site engineer verifies it the next morning and closes it. The log keeps the photo, the dates and who checked it.
Use the log in reports and reviews
Mention open critical and high issues in the daily report, and summarise the count by status and age in the weekly report. A log where issues close steadily is a healthier sign than a short log, and a growing number of old open issues is an early warning.
Construction blockers: why projects stall ↗
Where Bullet fits
Bullet is in early access: capture and review are live, routing is rolling out. A problem spoken on site becomes an issue with the original words attached, sent to the owner who must act and followed up until it is cleared. Bring your current issue log to a guided demo.
Common questions
- What is a construction issue log?
- A single list of problems that have already happened and affect cost, time, quality or safety, each with an owner, a priority, a due date and a record of how it was closed.
- How is an issue log different from a snag list or RFI log?
- A snag list records defects to fix before handover, an RFI log records questions to the design team, and a risk register records things that might happen. An issue log records problems that have already happened and need action.
- When should an issue be closed?
- Only when the fix has been verified on site. Keep resolved, meaning the owner says it is fixed, separate from closed, meaning someone has checked it.
Construction issue log
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