Documents & records
Field report
Also called: site report, inspection report, observation report
A field report is the written account of a site visit: who was there, what work was observed, the conditions found, and anything that needs follow-up. It is broader than a single checklist — an inspector, engineer or owner's rep uses it to capture the state of the work on a date, note deficiencies and nonconformances, and record decisions made in the field. Backed by photos, it becomes part of the contemporaneous record of how the job actually went.
Why it matters
Memory does not hold up in a dispute; a dated field report does. When a question comes up months later about when a condition appeared, who was notified, or what state the work was in on a date, the field reports and their photos are the record that answers it. That contemporaneous trail is often worth more than any single inspection sign-off.
It also drives action while it still matters. A field report that names a deficiency with a location and a photo puts the item on someone's list before it gets covered or forgotten, rather than surfacing at final when it is expensive to chase.
How it differs from a daily report
A daily construction report logs the day — crews, weather, deliveries, activities — for the whole site. A field report is narrower and observation-driven: it records what a specific visit or inspection found and what needs to happen about it, and is usually tied to quality rather than to production tracking.
Checklists that put field report to work
Free, field-ready checklists, each with the photo every item needs before it can be submitted.
Related terms
- Daily construction reportThe dated record of what happened on site each day — crews present, work done, weather, deliveries, inspections and issues.
- Deficiency logThe running list of open deficiencies and their status, so every item is tracked to closure instead of getting lost.
- Test reportThe documented result of a test run on installed work or material, recording what was tested, how, and whether it met the criteria.
- NonconformanceInstalled work that does not meet the drawings, spec or accepted submittal — formally identified so it gets dispositioned, not ignored.
- Punch listThe running list of incomplete or defective work a contractor has to fix before an area is accepted and closed out.
- Nonconformance report (NCR)A formal record raised when installed work does not meet the drawings, specs or an accepted standard, and the plan to resolve it.
Knowing the term is step one. Proving it is the job.
RTI holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and the photos are attached, then chains the record so it can be proven untouched later.