Good Ways to Stay on Schedule

Have you ever had the electrician show up to rough-in the wiring before ceiling joists were installed? Have you ever had to keep the plumber waiting while relocating a partition wall? Whose fault is it when the inspector shows up for final inspection before the electricians are finished?

Coordination and scheduling are important tasks for every contractor. On the smallest projects, one person can keep track of nearly everything that has to happen. On a larger project, a calendar or checklist may be all that’s needed to remind you of important dates. As work becomes more complex and timing becomes more critical, someone has to begin laying out work schedules and charting progress.

Every task completed is a link in the chain that follows some prior link and precedes a later link. Scheduling is just making sure that each link falls neatly in sequence so work can go from start to finish by the most direct, most profitable route possible.

A schedule is a list of tasks to be executed in order – from top to bottom. Scheduling with pencil and paper works fine – until something changes. Then you need a good eraser. Some contractors schedule with a chalkboard or a grease pencil. That’s OK too. But you’ll need a big board to handle a large project. Years ago, most construction schedules were made with bar charts and arrow diagrams. Today, most scheduling is done with a computer.

Any scheduling tool you select has to be flexible. Schedules change. Revising the schedule should be a simple process. If the project lasts more than a month, you’ll want to review the schedule at least weekly. Identify both work completed on time and work not completed as planned. Consider ways to get back on schedule without increasing costs and without sacrificing quality. Then revise the schedule based on work yet to be done and what you’ve learned about performance of the trade contractors assigned.

A good schedule may be a contractor’s most useful tool. It makes prompt completion more likely and reduces idle or wasted time. A good schedule should also reduce or eliminate resource crises: essential labor or materials not on site when needed.

What’s in Your Schedule?

You’ve probably heard the terms CPM (critical path method) and PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique). They’re the same in many respects and can be referred to collectively as echeloning tools. Each identifies when a task can begin, how long it should take and when it should end. Detailed schedules show both a sequence of trades on the job and the sequence of tasks to be performed by each trade. With a detailed schedule, you can set both delivery times for materials and arrival times for trade contractors.

Every project schedule begins with a list of work elements (trades). Assemble those elements into a logical sequence. Excavation has to come before foundations, wall construction has to precede roof framing, subbase and base preparation come before paving. Identify the first day of work as Day One. Every day thereafter is assigned a number in sequence.

Of course, you don’t have to wait until every element is complete before beginning the next element. For example, plumbing and wiring rough-in can begin before the last roofing tile is laid.

Be especially sensitive to durations that don’t involve construction trades. For example, it takes time to get permits. Inspections aren’t always completed on the day scheduled. And, of course, nearly every job gets delayed by weather at one time or another. Delay is nearly inevitable – and can be expensive. That’s why a good schedule includes at least some float, the time a particular task can be delayed without delaying the entire project.

Even with the best schedule, delay can plague nearly any significant construction project. Protect yourself. Be sure your contracts cut extra slack when you need more time. Construction Contract Writer can resolve disputes in your favor any time there’s a schedule issue. The trial version is free.