Commercial Construction Decision Log
This is a practical guide to building a decision log for a commercial construction project — a record of the key decisions made, by whom and why, adapted to the realities of delivering a commercial building safely, on time and on budget.
What a Decision Log is
A decision log is a record of the key decisions made, by whom and why. For the full concept and how it works in general, see Decision Log. On a commercial construction project it plays the same role, tuned to this kind of work.
Why it matters for a Commercial Construction project
Commercial Construction projects live or die on delivering a commercial building safely, on time and on budget. A well-built decision log gives the team a shared, explicit reference for exactly that — reducing ambiguity, aligning stakeholders, and making problems visible early enough to act. Skipping it, or doing it generically, is how commercial construction projects drift into avoidable delay and cost.
What to include
- Decision
- Date and owner
- Rationale
- Alternatives considered
- Impact
Commercial Construction-specific considerations
Tailor the decision log to the risks that most often derail commercial construction projects:
- Weather and site delays
- Material cost inflation
- Safety and compliance
Example
On a real commercial construction project, the decision log would be shaped by delivering a commercial building safely, on time and on budget. In particular, it should explicitly account for the project’s biggest risks — weather and site delays, material cost inflation, safety and compliance — rather than treating them as afterthoughts.