It’s unlikely in life that things go as planned, especially when there are a lot of variables and moving parts in play. Even the most planned-out scenarios can be side-tracked or delayed. The construction industry is no stranger to delays as it can be easy to become delayed whether it’s due to materials, labor issues, scheduling conflicts, etc.
No one benefits from a construction delay – it hurts the contractor, subcontractor, and client. While some delays are out of our control and excusable (inclement weather, labor strikes, errors in plans, intervention by outside agencies), other delays are non-excusable and could have been avoided such as poor planning, poor workmanship, late performance, delayed mobilization and submission, etc.
Non excusable delays can be critical, compensable or non-compensable. A critical delay is a delay that will affect the project completion date. Compensable delays include errors and omissions and owner-directed changes, which means the owner/contractor is liable for an extension of time, cost compensation or both. Concurrent delays are when two or more parties are at fault, so it can be hard to tell the duration of the delay.
Here are some tips to avoid delays on a construction job:
- Create a project scope assessment.
- Overestimate the time a project will take.
- Understand and have a knowledge of codes and regulations of cities.
- Don’t cut corners.
- Have full financing in place before committing to a project.
- Invest in budget software.
- Make sure schedule changes are anticipated in the planning phase.
- Know your own project limitations.
- Plan for extra worker/employee support.
- Have a back-up crew.
- Hire quality workers.
- Make sure everyone is always on the same page and in communication with one another.
- Use software to track staff and productivity.
There are different kinds delays, and a contractor needs to be aware and prepared for all of them. Some delays can be avoided, others cannot, and some delays hardly affect the project at all. With more preparation and planning, delays will become and less frequent and smaller, so you can stay on time and on budget.
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