Tips for Creating a Project Schedule

Creating a project schedule is critical for any contractor to be efficient. It is truly the heart of any construction project. If the sequence is incorrect, problems will quickly arise.
July 28, 2020 | Contractor
By: John L.
I bring over 35 years of experience in the construction industry in both field and office positions to Acuity including carpentry, welding, project management, contract negotiation, and much more. Also, I founded my own commercial general contracting firm specializing in building grocery stores. Over the years I’ve worked closely with architects, civil engineers, and developers. I’ve found it instrumental to build solid relationships with all involved in the construction project, including insurance companies. This is why I am here, I want to help you the contractor better understand insurance and help Acuity to offer products and services that meet your unique needs. I feel a close connection to construction and with my background I feel that I can make sure contractors have a better insurance experience.

Creating a project schedule is critical for any contractor to be efficient. It is truly the heart of any construction project. If the sequence is incorrect, problems will quickly arise.

 

As you start creating a project schedule, it is important to include a detailed list of activities that will take place on site at specific dates and times. At a minimum, this should include when subcontractors are supposed to start and complete their work, material and equipment deliveries, installation of utilities, inspections, site meetings, and the estimated project completion. It is the most basic form of organizational communication.

 

A well-designed schedule combined with great on-site experience management is what subcontractors look for when working with a general contractor. Though schedules will differ by project, there are many similar elements. Listed below are a few items to consider as you create the schedule for your next project.

 

  1. Organization from the start is critical. During the bid process, it is a good practice to have subcontractors verify their approach to the work and number of days on the job. A preliminary schedule attached to the contract documents and/or purchase orders should be agreed upon. Delivery dates for special fabricated items, structural steel, and other materials need to be confirmed. Be sure there are no delays in plan reviews and building permits. An early job meeting is a face-to-face gathering where subcontractors review the schedule and their scope of work to hash out any issues or plan discrepancies. Everyone needs to be on the same page after this meeting.
  2. Site preparation and work must be well thought out. This is especially true when the property (lot size) is small. With staging areas needed for other contractors and excess dirt (topsoil) stored on site, you can run out of room quickly. This will need special attention. Excavating the building foundation, back filling after the foundation is installed, and grading around the building will create a good working area around the building.
  3. Coordinating the excavator and site-utility contractor can be a great benefit. One contractor may be able to use excavated soil from the other contractor, especially if the spoils are deemed structural fill by the engineer. This can eliminate or minimize the need to truck materials to or from the site.
  4. Building design may dictate the task order. For example, there may be a need for steel columns and beams to be installed on one end of the building for a masonry or steel stud wall to be built on top of that beam. This would carry the bar joist for the roof or second floor. Yet in areas of the same building, some walls of masonry or studs may run from the foundation up to the bottom of the roof joist. The idea is to know what needs to be done in sequence and get the roof on, so the weather is not an issue for interior work. This helps keep the project moving forward on schedule.
  5. Contractors do not like to work on top of other contractors. This can be easily avoided with good scheduling. Schedule tasks in order of priority. For example, when it is time to rough-in the bathrooms, the plumber would be the first to rough-in his waste and water pipes because there are limited ways to run the waste piping, the electrician would then install their rough-in, followed by the carpenter for any blocking.
  6. Contractors may share scaffolding or equipment with other contractors. This can be taken into consideration to save time when scheduling. For example, if the brick layer has their scaffolding set up and the electrician has to mount some electrical boxes up for the brick layers to work around, they may be able to share the scaffolding. Sharing equipment is common, saves time, and is sometimes agreed upon early. There may be only one all-terrain forklift and several contractors need their materials installed on the roof or there may be limited space inside the building to accommodate high lifts. It is important to have a scaffolding and equipment agreement in place for liability protection if equipment is shared. A construction attorney can draft an agreement for you to help ensure you are protected.
  7. It is worth researching technology software and apps that can be used for project schedules and communication. However, in my experience, having a large schedule posted on the job site is highly effective. I would use a few sheets of unwanted plans (24" x 36") to make the timeline. On the back of each sheet, I would draw a grid with 5" x 5" squares and then use colored markers to write the schedule. The colored markers are important as they draw people to look at the schedule board. You might use red for inspections, blue for deliveries, green when a subcontractor is starting, etc. Encourage everyone to view the calendar daily for updates or adjustments. This will impress anyone who visits the job site, including the owner.
By: John L.
I bring over 35 years of experience in the construction industry in both field and office positions to Acuity including carpentry, welding, project management, contract negotiation, and much more. Also, I founded my own commercial general contracting firm specializing in building grocery stores. Over the years I’ve worked closely with architects, civil engineers, and developers. I’ve found it instrumental to build solid relationships with all involved in the construction project, including insurance companies. This is why I am here, I want to help you the contractor better understand insurance and help Acuity to offer products and services that meet your unique needs. I feel a close connection to construction and with my background I feel that I can make sure contractors have a better insurance experience.