Daily Allocation Sheets: Construction's Most Underrated Document

Your organisation probably spent six figures on construction technology last year. Project management platforms. BIM software. Analytics dashboards. All promising better visibility, tighter cost control, and improved decision-making.

But the document delivering the highest ROI on most construction sites? A simple daily allocation sheet that takes five minutes to complete.

Labour and plant typically comprise 40-50% of project costs. Yet on site after site, the same problem emerges: nobody recorded what actually happened. When variations arise or disputes surface months later, teams scramble to piece together who worked on what, for how long, and why.

The daily allocation sheet solves this problem at minimal cost and effort. Here's why it might be construction's most underrated document—and how to use it properly.

What Is a Daily Allocation Sheet?

A daily allocation sheet is a structured record of how labour, plant, and materials are deployed against specific activities each day. It provides a matrix showing:

• Who worked (names, trades, competencies)
• On what activities or work packages
• For how long (hours allocated per activity)
• With which resources (plant, equipment, materials)

Unlike a narrative site diary that describes events, the allocation sheet quantifies resource deployment. Together, they provide the complete contemporaneous record that NEC4 contracts and commercial best practice demand.

The Short-Term Benefits

Real-Time Cost Visibility

When you know exactly how resources are deployed each day, you can track actual costs against budget in near real-time. No waiting until month-end to discover you've overspent on labour for a particular work package.

Substantiating Change Orders

If something differs from what was expected on site—additional work, scope changes, delays—your daily allocation sheet provides the contemporaneous evidence to support variations. Under NEC4 clause 61.3, you have eight weeks to notify compensation events. Having detailed allocation records means you can substantiate claims quickly and avoid time-barred notifications.

Identifying Inefficiencies Early

Labour and plant are often the core cost components on projects. When resources are stood down or working inefficiently, the allocation sheet reveals it immediately. Teams can triage issues and address root causes before they compound.

Supporting Monthly Cost-Value Reconciliation

Your CVR process depends on accurate resource data. With daily allocation records feeding into your cost reporting, reconciliation becomes a verification exercise rather than a reconstruction effort.

Documenting Best Practices

Allocation sheets don't just capture problems—they highlight where teams are efficiently using resources compared to the tender or programme. This knowledge becomes repeatable across future projects.

The Long-Term Strategic Value

The real power of allocation sheets emerges over time as data accumulates:

Building Proprietary Estimating Databases

Rather than relying on industry benchmarks or guesswork, your organisation develops its own data on daily outputs, optimal resource allocation, and cost-to-deliver for each element. This becomes a genuine competitive advantage.

Establishing Evidence-Based Risk Registers

Historical allocation data shows exactly how issues impacted both cost and programme. Future project teams can use this granular detail to better understand, price, and mitigate project risks—based on your own track record, not assumptions.

Defending Against Disputes

When disputes arise—and they do—allocation sheets provide the contemporaneous evidence that separates successful claims from failed ones. The detail transforms "he-said-she-said" into documented fact.

Enabling Faster Final Accounts

Projects with comprehensive allocation records reach final account faster. There's less to argue about when you can demonstrate exactly how resources were deployed against each activity.

Avoiding Disallowed Costs

Clients and contract administrators have less ammunition to challenge costs when detailed allocation records support every line item. The transparency builds trust and streamlines commercial processes.

Strengthening Client Relationships

Contractors who can demonstrate precisely how resources are deployed—and justify costs with contemporaneous evidence—build stronger relationships with clients. Transparency breeds trust.

What to Include in Your Daily Allocation Sheet

An effective allocation sheet captures:

Labour:

• Names and trade/competency
• Hours worked per activity
• Any standing time or non-productive time (with reasons)

Plant and Equipment:

• Equipment type and ID
• Hours deployed per activity
• Idle time (with reasons)

Materials:

• Quantities delivered and used
• Allocation against activities
• Wastage or damage

Context:

• Date and site reference
• Weather conditions (if affecting work)
• Any delays, instructions, or events affecting allocation

Combining Allocation Sheets with Site Diaries

The allocation sheet tells you what resources were used where. The site diary tells you why and what happened. Together, they provide complete contemporaneous records.

At Gather, we merged allocation sheets with site diaries into a single five-minute daily record that captures resources, activities, progress, and issues in real time. The data flows automatically into cost reporting and commercial workflows.

But whether you use digital tools or paper forms, the principle holds: capture allocation data daily, link it to your narrative records, and make it accessible for commercial review.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Completing allocation sheets retrospectively. The value lies in contemporaneous recording. Filling in forms from memory days later introduces errors and weakens evidential value.

Capturing labour but forgetting plant. Plant costs are significant. Ensure your allocation tracking covers all major resource categories.

Not linking to activities. Recording "8 hours labour" means nothing without knowing which activity or work package those hours supported.

Keeping allocation data separate from site records. Integration matters. Your allocation data should connect to your wider site record system for maximum value.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a daily allocation sheet in construction?

A daily allocation sheet is a document that records how labour, plant, and materials are deployed against specific activities each day. It provides a matrix showing who worked on what, for how long, and with which resources—creating contemporaneous evidence essential for cost control, change substantiation, and dispute resolution.

What should be included in a daily allocation sheet?

A daily allocation sheet should include: date and site reference, labour allocation (names, trades, hours per activity), plant allocation (equipment, hours, activities), materials used (quantities, activities), weather conditions, and any delays or issues affecting work.

How is a daily allocation sheet different from a site diary?

A site diary records narrative events, progress, and issues on site. A daily allocation sheet specifically tracks resource deployment against activities in a structured matrix. Combining both provides complete contemporaneous evidence for cost control and claims.

Why are daily allocation sheets important for NEC4 contracts?

NEC4 contracts require contemporaneous records to substantiate compensation events and variations. Daily allocation sheets provide the detailed resource evidence needed to support claims and avoid time-barred notifications under clauses like 61.3.

The Bottom Line

Your six-figure technology investment has its place. But for tracking the 40-50% of costs tied up in labour and plant, few tools match the ROI of a well-maintained daily allocation sheet.

Five minutes per day. Contemporaneous evidence. Commercial clarity.

That's why the daily allocation sheet might be construction's most underrated document.

Ready to streamline your site records? Gather combines allocation sheets, site diaries, and commercial intelligence in one platform. Book a demo to see how it works.

This article expands on insights originally shared on LinkedIn.