Working in construction, you know that a well-planned schedule can make or break your project. But even with years of experience, certain scheduling mistakes keep cropping up on job sites across the country.
Let’s talk about five common construction schedule issues that can cause problems with your construction projects and discuss some practical solutions you can use on your next build.
1. Unrealistic Resource Projections
When you’re juggling multiple projects, it’s easy to overestimate your resource availability. Your crews can’t be in two places at once, and your equipment has limits, yet many of us still create schedules assuming we’ll have unlimited access to resources.
To get ahead of this construction schedule issue, you can start by mapping your actual resource constraints. Track your equipment maintenance schedules, crew availability, competing project demands, and build buffer time into your schedule for equipment breakdowns and crew shortages.
You should create a resource loading plan that shows exactly what you need and when you need it. This level of detail might take up more time, but it beats explaining to your client why you’re behind schedule.
2. Not Considering All Project Tasks and Subtasks
You’ve handled dozens of projects, but each one has its own challenges. Missing tasks in your building construction schedule like permit processing times or inspection windows can throw your entire timeline off track. Even though these seem to be small oversights, they can quickly cause problems when you’re managing a complex build.
Pull your superintendents and foremen into the planning process because they know the day-to-day operations best and can spot potential bottlenecks you might miss.
Create a detailed work breakdown structure and review it with your team, and don’t forget to account for prerequisites like utility locates, material testing, and municipal inspections.
3. Material Delays
Material delays can derail even your best construction project scheduling, like when your concrete supplier is backed up, or when that special order HVAC equipment is stuck in transit. These delays can eat into your profits and throw off your subcontractors’ schedules.
You can get ahead of material issues by ordering your important path items as early as possible. Maintain relationships with multiple suppliers, as you need backup options when your primary vendor can’t deliver.
You should also set up a material tracking system that alerts you when your inventory is running low, and work with your suppliers to understand their lead times so you can build those into your construction work schedule.
4. Not Enough Details
A schedule that lacks detail is asking for trouble, so your subs need more direction than “rough-in plumbing next week.” You need to break down each phase into specific tasks with clear start and finish points. Your schedule should guide your team through the building process step by step.
Make sure you list out every task with its duration, manpower requirements, and dependencies. Your critical path should be clearly identified and use construction scheduling software to track progress and spot potential conflicts.
5. Poor Communication
Poor communication wreaks havoc on construction schedules. For example, your electrical sub didn’t know the ceiling height changed, and your concrete crew wasn’t told about the morning’s quality control testing. These communication gaps lead to rework, delays, and frustrated team members.
Your success starts with choosing the right construction management team. You should hold weekly schedule reviews with your key crew members and make sure everyone’s working from the same version of the schedule. When changes occur, get the word out immediately to everyone who might be affected.
Final Thoughts
Your schedule is your roadmap to project success. By avoiding these common construction scheduling mishaps, you’ll keep your projects running smoother and your clients happier.
Remember to regularly update your schedule as the conditions change, and always build in some flexibility for the unexpected. That’s how experienced construction managers deliver successful projects over and over again.
Contact us today to work with our professional Project Development team.
