Do Contractors Deserve The Reputation For Never Completing Projects On Time?
In both pop culture and real life, contractors are often considered late on their project timelines. Many homeowners have expressed frustration that renovations or home additions take so long. New builds sometimes seem to take forever!
And for property developers, these delays could throw a wrench into their investment plan. Timely completion of construction projects is vital to selling or renting out the building on time.
This leads to many people feeling nervous or annoyed with contractors. Are you in the same boat? Wondering why your projects aren't done on time or if any contractors could meet your schedule?
Contractors may not deserve this reputation for being late. It's helpful to understand all the factors that go into construction or renovation. Read on to learn why your project may be delayed and how to handle it.
Supply-Chain Issues Cause Delays
In recent years, economic strife and trade restrictions have disrupted the supply chain. This means that critical construction materials may not arrive in time. Shipping costs often rise when supplies are limited or if contractors must order them from another vendor.
And in some cases, the necessary materials aren't available at all. Contractors increasingly face long backorder timelines or the need to swap out various supplies for other options. This leads to a juggling act where they must coordinate estimated delivery dates with project phases.
Especially when supply-chain issues are happening, it's important to thoroughly plan a project ahead of time. This allows contractors to order materials far enough in advance to ensure they can get them.
Avoid making significant changes to the project scope as it may not be possible to procure new or different supplies in a timely manner. By the same token, it's a good idea to limit the number of stakeholders making site visits or requesting changes. At a certain point, it becomes very tedious and expensive to continue rearranging the project schedule or changing the deliverables.
Construction Projects Pause for Permitting or Code Violations
Various state and local laws govern all construction projects. Property development and safety codes can be immensely complex. Any violation results in fines. Often, the project must cease progress until the issue is resolved.
The best way to prevent permitting or code issues is to thoroughly review all requirements before commencing the project. A robust safety plan can help prevent delays.
However, many contractors feel pressure to start work. Their profitability depends on their ability to keep projects moving quickly.
In other words, you're both eager to get the project rolling! So, be sure that the contractors are cognizant of permitting or safety requirements. Even if that initial planning phase takes a little longer, you'll avoid severe and costly delays down the line.
And remember, as the owner or developer, you're ultimately responsible for permits and code compliance for your property. Do your homework to help the project get done on time!
Labor Shortages Lead to Project Delays
Your contractor needs their employees or subcontractors to complete their work on time. While this may sound obvious, it's a key factor in project delays. Construction is a high-risk industry, so there is always a chance that projects may lose laborers. Contractors may also struggle to find qualified help in time, especially if the project scope changes or a worker falls ill.
Labor shortages can emerge for any of the following reasons:
Unsafe environments discourage laborers from staying on the project.
Injured or sick workers are forced to take time away or leave the project
Workers dispute compensation or benefits
Illegal workers are removed from the project
Contractors cannot always control these issues. In a perfect world, safety incidents never happen and every worker shows up for every shift. However, we don't live in a perfect world, and construction project managers often must juggle their available labor. As it behooves them to keep the project moving, they do try their best to fill the gaps.
You can help by paying any advances or deposits on time, as this helps the contractors hire qualified help.
Mother Nature Can Derail a Project Timeline
When the weather is bad, construction projects struggle to proceed. Severe weather may force work to cease, depending on local laws and the contractor's safety plan. And depending on the project, excessive rain or wind can damage materials or undo progress, causing further delays.
Obviously, no one can control the weather. Many contractors will build flexibility into the timeline to accommodate potential delays due to bad weather or acts of God. This is a good approach as the project could actually be completed sooner than estimated (assuming there are no significant delays due to other factors).
In other words, accepting a longer timeline can help avoid disappointing delays caused by Mother Nature!
Conclusion: Contractors Want to Get Done on Time
Contractors who fail to meet project deadlines or keep their site adequately staffed will incur regulatory fines and greater costs that they cannot pass on to clients. They may also be on the hook to reimburse property owners. Worst of all, their reputation gets dinged and they may miss out on future projects.
In short, contractors are very concerned about project timelines. The issue is that many different factors can delay their progress. Many contractors are now adopting site management software, hiring safety planners, and otherwise investing in ways to help them stay on schedule.
However, successful projects take a village. You, your stakeholders, and the contractors must all stay in touch to help keep everything rolling. Understanding and planning go hand-in-hand to help the project get done on time — and to everyone's satisfaction!
