Goods received note (GRN) in UK construction: what it is and why site must own it

A goods received note (GRN) is the buyers own dated record of what was accepted on site against a purchase order or call-off. Signing the suppliers delivery ticket shows that a load arrived. It does not, by itself, prove what was counted, what was short, what was damaged, or which programme activity that shortfall put at risk.

What is a goods received note on a construction site?

A goods received note in construction is an internal buyer document that confirms materials or goods were received against a purchase order or call-off. It should show the order reference, ordered versus received, condition on arrival, the delivery note reference, and who signed it off.

A construction GRN records ordered versus received truth on the day, captures damage and rejections at delivery, names who checked the load, and gives finance, QS, and commercial teams evidence they can find later.

Delivery note vs goods received note

The delivery note is created by the supplier. The goods received note is created by the buyer after a quantity and condition check against the order. Full side-by-side: delivery note vs goods received note.

Minimum fields and who may sign

Align the GRN to a materials delivery log: order/PO reference, material description, ordered vs received quantity, due vs actual date, condition/damage, delivery note reference, signed off by name and role. Nominate people who will actually count and inspect. Avoid an anyone-with-a-pen culture.

Part deliveries, shortfalls, and three-way matching

Record what arrived on this load and keep the balance outstanding. Log shortfalls and damage the same day. Three-way matching compares PO, GRN/site receipt, and invoice. Gather helps make the receipt findable and dated. It is not your AP matching engine. See three-way matching in construction.

Why contemporaneous receipt matters

For QS and commercial managers, receipt discipline supports Defined Cost, early warnings, and compensation event evidence. Records made on the day generally carry more weight than reconstructions months later.

Start with Gathers free materials delivery log, then see how Gather site diary and Rosie keep deliveries findable.

Download the free materials delivery log