Weekly progress report format for construction (free template)
A weekly progress report should compare the plan with what actually happened, explain the difference, and list the decisions and hindrances that will affect the next two weeks. Build it from the week’s daily reports rather than from memory on Friday afternoon.
What a weekly report is for
Daily reports record what happened on site. A weekly progress report turns six days of records into a view that the project manager, client or management can act on: are we on plan, if not why, and what decision is needed. It should be short enough to read in a meeting and specific enough to check.
The weekly report sections
| Section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Summary | Three to five lines: overall status, the main change since last week and the decision needed |
| Planned vs actual | Each key activity with its planned and actual quantity or milestone for the week, and the reason for any gap |
| Manpower | Average or total deployment by agency and trade against the plan |
| Material | Key materials received, shortages and expected deliveries |
| Hindrances | Open hindrances with start date, affected activities, owner and reference |
| Decisions needed | What is needed, from whom, by when and the effect of a late decision |
| Quality and safety | Inspections done, open observations and incidents, as recorded in your procedures |
| Two-week lookahead | Planned activities and what each depends on |
| Photos | A few referenced photos that show progress or a problem |
Explain the gap, not just the percentage
“Structure 62% complete” does not tell the reader whether the project is in trouble. Show the planned and actual figure for the week and give the reason for the difference. An illustrative entry: “Block A, 4th floor slab: planned to cast this week, not cast. Reinforcement delivery arrived two days late (hindrance H-07). Revised casting date subject to inspection.” The reader can now see the cause, the reference and what to follow up.
Build it from the daily reports
- Use the same location codes and activity names as the daily reports.
- Total the week’s manpower and quantities from the daily reports instead of estimating them again.
- Carry hindrances forward by reference, with their start date, rather than rewriting them.
- Separate measured quantities from estimates, and from quantities certified for billing.
- Have the project manager review the summary and the decisions-needed list before it is sent.
Keep the lookahead honest
The two-week lookahead is where most reports are optimistic. For each planned activity, list what it depends on: a drawing, a material delivery, an inspection, a preceding activity or a client decision. If a dependency is not yet secured, say so. A lookahead that shows its risks is more useful than one that only shows the plan.
Where Bullet fits
Bullet is in development. It is exploring how spoken daily site updates can become reviewed daily records that roll up into a weekly view. Bring your current weekly report to a guided demo.
Common questions
- What should a weekly progress report include?
- A short summary, planned versus actual progress with reasons for any gap, manpower, material, open hindrances, decisions needed, quality and safety notes, a two-week lookahead and a few referenced photos.
- How is a weekly progress report different from a DPR?
- A daily progress report records what happened on one day. A weekly report is built from the week’s daily reports and shows whether the project is on plan, why not, and which decisions or hindrances affect the next two weeks.
- How do you report a delay in a weekly progress report?
- Show the planned and actual figure for the activity, give the specific cause with its hindrance or communication reference, and state the revised date or the decision needed to recover it.
Weekly progress report template
A blank CSV you can open in Excel or Google Sheets. Adapt the fields to your project. No signup required.
Download CSV
