Glossary · Jobsite reporting
Manpower report
A manpower report is a daily record of how many workers each company had on a jobsite and how many hours they worked, usually grouped by craft. General contractors collect them from subcontractors to track progress, resolve disputes and support delay and payment claims.
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What goes in a manpower report?
A manpower report holds a headcount and hours for each company on site that day, along with the date, the project and the person who filled it in. Most are one page and are filled out by the foreman or the superintendent before the end of the day.
| Company | Craft | Workers | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical sub | Pipefitters | 6 | 48 |
| Electrical sub | Journeymen | 4 | 32 |
| Electrical sub | Apprentices | 2 | 16 |
| Drywall sub | Finishers | 8 | 64 |
Why do general contractors ask for manpower reports?
A manpower report is the daily evidence of who was on site when something went wrong. If a schedule slips, the question is whether a subcontractor staffed the job as promised, and the reports answer it day by day.
- Checking staffing against the schedule and the subcontract.
- Supporting a delay or acceleration claim with dated counts.
- Showing an owner or agency how many people worked on the project.
A manpower report is a count, not a timesheet. It does not name individuals or pay them, which is what a timesheet and certified payroll do.
How is a manpower report built from time records?
Where a company already has hours by worker and jobsite for the day, the manpower report is a roll-up: count the workers and add the hours for each jobsite. A hand-counted version is only as good as the foreman's memory at 4 PM.
A record of which badge was at which jobsite lets that roll-up come from the timesheet instead of from memory, though the company still decides what it shares with the general contractor. See time and attendance.
