Today’s construction projects operate on fast-track schedules and must meet tight deadlines to satisfy clients and bottom lines.
However, understanding some of the common areas where construction delays happen, and working to avoid them, helps keep a project on track for completion on schedule and on budget.
Avoiding Common Causes of Delay in Construction
Before the project even commences on the ground, delays often happen in the permitting process due to misunderstandings about how long design the review and permitting processes typically take.
How long it takes to get a finalized permit differs depending on the municipality involved, and the best way of knowing is to discuss the timeline with officials at the building department issuing the permits for the project, and then to accept the realities of their timeline.
Another area where delays commonly occur is in receiving special order materials and supplies. Certain materials, such as commercial HVAC equipment, is built to order, and suppliers do not have a ready stockpile waiting in the wings to ship on demand. Knowing the suppliers required lead-time for the needed material is important.
Other materials, such as imported tiles, glass, and appliances can also take an especially long time to arrive at the job site. Not having unrealistic expectations about the arrival of special order materials, and allowing sufficient time for delivery before confirming subcontractor schedules, keeps these types of delays to a minimum.
Use of a professional scheduler with the right experience, and having this person conduct workshops with subcontractors and vendors for identifying potential sources of delay before they happen, work well for keeping construction projects on the tight time-track required in the modern construction world.
