Having an engineer on site is not enough; what matters is what they do all day. Some resident engineers spend their time in the site office waiting for the contractor to call them, while others walk the site and catch the problem before it is poured. The difference shows in the building's quality and in the repair bill. These are the resident engineer's daily duties that you should expect, write into the contract and measure their performance against, with a model working day, evaluation indicators, and periodic reports to the owner.
Core Duties
- Accepting works: before every pour or covering, against the approved drawings and code. Read: Stages where pouring is not allowed without the supervisor.
- Materials control: checking incoming materials against specifications, and following up sampling and testing.
- The daily report: works carried out, labour, equipment, observations and photographs.
- Safety monitoring: spotting site hazards and raising them, according to construction site safety rules.
- Technical queries: passing the contractor's queries to the designer and following up the response.
- Schedule tracking: comparing actual progress with the plan.
- Documenting and closing observations.
A Model Working Day
| Time | Task |
|---|---|
| Start of day | A short meeting with the contractor on the day's works, and reviewing acceptance requests |
| Morning | Touring work fronts, accepting ready works, inspecting incoming materials |
| Midday | Following pours or critical works, and taking samples |
| Afternoon | Following up earlier observations, answering technical queries |
| End of day | Preparing the daily report with photographs, and updating the observations log |
Materials Control
- Checking rebar, cement and ready-mix concrete against mill certificates and specifications.
- Rejecting non-compliant or damaged materials and documenting it.
- Following up lab results for concrete cubes and compaction tests.
- Approving samples before full supply of finishes.
How to Measure Performance
- Regularity and quality of reports.
- The number of observations caught early versus those caught later.
- Speed of response to the contractor without holding up work.
- The share of observations closed on time.
- Accuracy of schedule tracking and early warning of delays.
Periodic Reports to the Owner
Daily reports are compiled into a weekly or monthly report for the owner showing progress, observations and risks. Read: Periodic supervision reports and Progress reports and contractor payments.
When Do You Need a Resident Engineer at All?
Read: The resident engineer: when is one necessary? and Supervision cost: visits or resident?.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the resident engineer responsible for workers' safety?
Execution safety is the contractor's responsibility; the engineer monitors, warns and documents.
Do they approve change orders?
They assess them technically and refer them; the decision rests with the owner or project manager according to authority. Read: Project management and supervision.
Does the resident engineer work at weekends?
It depends on the contract and the contractor's schedule; if critical works are planned, they must attend or the works be postponed.
What if the contractor rejects the resident's observations?
The observation is documented and escalated to the owner and office, and the non-compliant work is not accepted.
Can the owner see the daily reports?
Yes, and it is best for them to arrive regularly by email or app. Read: Following a project remotely.
How Abak Engineering Consultancy Helps
Abak is an accredited engineering office in Riyadh that provides resident engineers with clear duties: accepting works, controlling materials, photographed daily reports and schedule tracking, with weekly reports to the owner. See our resident engineer supervision service, or contact us.
Regulatory information is based on the Balady platform and the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, and procedures may be updated by the competent authority. Last reviewed: October 2026.