Delivery note template for construction
A construction delivery-note template, with a goods received note for the site’s receiving check and a worked example. The supplier records what it sends; the site records what it receives and any discrepancy. Adapt the forms to your contract and receiving procedure.
Download the template
Free, no email needed. Download the delivery note and goods received note forms. The worked example below shows how to record a discrepancy.
Use Excel for calculations, Word for editing or PDF for printing.
A delivery note is the document a supplier sends with a delivery. It lists what's on the vehicle, who it's for and where it's going, and the person receiving the goods signs it.
Use the note with the order, receiving check and photographs. It starts the record; it does not settle quantity, acceptance, ownership or payment on its own.
What a delivery note should show
Most goods have no single universal delivery-note format. Use the fields below as a receiving checklist, then add any supply-term, client or material-specific requirements. This template is a starting point, not a compliance certificate.
Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
Delivery note number | Gives the delivery one reference that the invoice, the goods received note and the site diary can all quote |
Date and time of delivery | Fixes when the goods arrived, which matters for the programme and for late deliveries |
Supplier and vehicle | Names who delivered and in what, so a query can be traced to a load and a driver |
Place, date and time of loading | Useful for tracing dispatch origin and load age; check specific statutory requirements where applicable |
Order (PO) number | Ties the delivery to what was ordered, so a shortage can be measured |
Customer, site address and unloading point | Shows who it was for and where it went, which matters on a site with several working areas or compounds |
Description and product code | States what arrived, in the words used on the order |
Quantity ordered, delivered and to follow | Makes any difference visible on the day, not at invoice time, and shows what's still owed |
Batch, lot or cast number | Traces material back to its manufacturer when a defect or a certificate is queried |
Driver and receiver signatures | Records handover and the stated receiving check; does not by itself determine legal acceptance |
Condition and remarks | Records damage or a shortage where it happened, while the vehicle's still there |
Certain loads have specific rules. For qualifying road deliveries of ballast and ready-mixed concrete/cement mortar, the Weights and Measures Act provides for a seller-signed document stating delivery/load particulars. Check the current Schedule, journey and exemptions before using a generic form. Sources: Weights and Measures Act, Schedule 4; Weights and Measures Act, Schedule 6.
Waste records are separate. In England, a non-hazardous waste transfer needs a waste transfer note or another document containing the required information; hazardous waste generally uses consignment procedures. A delivery note is sufficient only if it fulfils the relevant waste-record requirements. Digital tracking obligations may also apply to the receiving operator. Source: GOV.UK waste transfer guidance.
How to write a delivery note
Six steps. The first three are for whoever raises the note, and the last three are for the person on site who receives the goods.
1. Fill in the references first
Delivery note number, date, order number, project and site address. These tie the note to the order, the invoice and the site record.
2. List every line as loaded
One line per product, with the code, the unit and the quantity ordered and delivered. If the supplier is sending part of an order, put the balance in Qty to follow.
3. Record batch or cast numbers where they matter
Record batch, lot, heat or cast identifiers where needed to trace the material and match its certificate. Do not assume the delivery-note number alone identifies the manufacturing batch.
4. Count before anyone signs
Check accessible goods safely against the note and order. For bulk quantities, use the appropriate batch or weighbridge record. If a check is incomplete, record the limitation; “not checked” does not automatically preserve legal rights.
5. Sign for what you counted
State the actual discrepancy on your copy and the driver’s or electronic record, request acknowledgement and photograph it. Notify the supplier through the agreed procedure; the annotation alone is not a claim notice.
6. File it and raise a goods received note
Keep the signed note with that day's site diary entry, and raise a goods received note for the delivery, whether or not every line was complete.
The template, field by field
The Excel workbook contains delivery and receipt forms, a worked example and instructions. The receipt form separates the supplier’s figure, the site check and quantities rejected or retained.
Block | What it holds |
|---|---|
Delivery details | Delivery note number, date, order number, project reference or cost code, project or contract |
From (supplier) | Supplier name, address and phone, driver, vehicle registration, and where and when the load was loaded |
Deliver to (customer and site) | Customer, site address, unloading point or working area, site contact |
Goods delivered | Choose Excel for calculations, Word for editing or PDF for printing. |
Supplier declaration | Who loaded and checked the vehicle, with the supplier's signature and the driver's |
Received on site | Condition on arrival, any shortage or damage found, who received it, when, the receiver's signature and the goods received note number |
In the Excel version, check that calculated fields correctly separate counted, rejected and retained quantities, and that shortages, over-deliveries and replacements are handled as intended. Word and PDF forms require manual entries. Do not treat a calculated “still to come” quantity as an agreed supplier replacement until confirmed.
Delivery note example: a short delivery signed for properly
Illustrative delivery: the note lists 2,000 blocks, 8 tonnes of T16 rebar and 40 lintels. The site counts 1,600 blocks and finds two lintels damaged. The rebar tonnage needs its supporting weight/delivery record.
The receiver records “400 blocks short; two lintels damaged”, seeks the driver’s acknowledgement and photographs the evidence. The receipt record shows 1,600 blocks retained and 38 sound lintels. Request replacement or credit for the gap and confirm the supplier’s response; a formula cannot agree that remedy.
GOODS RECEIVED NOTE GRN-0187 Against delivery note TR-58213. Example only. Names and numbers are made up.
- Supplier: Example Builders Merchants Ltd
- Delivery note no.: TR-58213
- Order (PO) no.: PO-0142
- Received at: Example Road Bridge Replacement, Working Area 2, 14 Jul 2026
Description | Ordered | On note | Counted | Rejected | Accepted | Still to come | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blockwork, 100mm aircrete | 2,000 | 2,000 | 1,600 | 0 | 1,600 | 400 | Short |
Rebar T16 | 8t | 8t | 8t | 0 | 8t | 0 | Complete |
Precast lintels | 40 | 40 | 40 | 2 | 38 | 2 | Part rejected |
Written on the driver's copy before signing, and initialled by the driver: short 400 blocks, 2 lintels cracked. Result: 2 lines to raise with the supplier.
When the invoice arrives, the receipt record gives finance a supported basis to query the difference. Keep the supplier’s response and agreed adjustment with it.
Delivery note, goods received note and invoice
Four records cover one delivery. The supplier writes two of them.
Document | Who raises it | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
Delivery note | The supplier | What the supplier says it sent |
Goods received note | The site or store that received the goods | What was counted and accepted |
Delivery log | The site team | Every delivery against its order, in one register |
Invoice | The supplier | What the supplier wants to be paid for |
The invoice needs to be checked against the order and reliable receipt evidence. A delivery log helps find the supporting record; it does not replace the receiving check or the supplier’s credit note.
Keeping deliveries with the site record
Gather records delivery notes within the shift record, alongside the day’s work and resources. Its Record product page also describes photos with timestamps and GPS metadata. These records support a delivery history; they do not, by themselves, confirm the quantity received or prove that materials were used. See the Gather Record product page or book a demo.
Frequently asked questions
What is a delivery note?
A supplier document describing the load and delivery references. A receiving signature may acknowledge arrival, with any checks or limitations recorded alongside it.
What should a delivery note include?
Use the supplier, delivery reference, order, destination, product, quantity and unit, with the arrival date/time and receiving check. Add batch identifiers and loading particulars where needed. The legal minimum varies by goods and transaction.
Is a delivery note a legal requirement?
Requirements vary. The Weights and Measures Act contains delivery-document provisions for qualifying ballast and ready-mixed concrete/cement mortar road journeys. Other deliveries may be governed by the supply terms or different rules. Check the transaction rather than treating this form as universally mandatory. Sources: Weights and Measures Act, Schedule 4; Weights and Measures Act, Schedule 6.
Is a delivery note the same as a goods received note?
No. The supplier raises the delivery note to say what it sent, and the site raises the goods received note from a count to record what was accepted. When the two differ, the goods received note is where the gap is recorded.
What should I write on a delivery note if goods are short or damaged?
Write the factual discrepancy on the receiving record and ask the driver to acknowledge it. Photograph it and notify the supplier promptly in the required form. If checking is incomplete, record the limitation; writing “not checked” does not override supply terms or statutory acceptance rules.
What is proof of delivery?
Proof of delivery is evidence of handover or receipt. It can include a signed note, electronic acknowledgement, gate record or supporting photos. A signature does not automatically prove the quantity was checked, the goods conform or ownership passed.
Is there a free delivery note template in Word?
A Word download is linked above, alongside Excel and PDF versions. Choose the editable version for your process or print the PDF for use on site.
Related records
- Materials delivery log template: A running register of every delivery against its order
- Goods received notes in construction: What a goods received note is, what goes on it and how to raise one on site
- Site diary template: The shift record that should carry the delivery note
- Construction daily report template: Deliveries and delays on the one-page daily
- NEC4 Disallowed Cost: Why the quality of your records matters when cost is assessed
Sources
- Weights and Measures Act 1985, Schedule 4, Part II, paragraph 7 and Schedule 6, Part II, paragraph 6 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Waste transfer notes (GOV.UK)
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