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Construction projects dragging behind schedule have become an expectation rather than an anomaly. Even simple home renovations routinely take far longer than the original timeline estimates. 

This leaves everyone from investors and owners to contractors and tenants perpetually frustrated. But construction delays are not inevitable when teams understand and plan for the interdependent risks. 

Below, we’ll explore the main reasons construction timelines slip and techniques to help offset delays. Let’s get started!

Top Causes of Construction Delays

Ask any builder like Boh Bros. Construction, and they’ll share that despite the most meticulous planning, construction projects inevitably take longer than originally scheduled.

Many think contractors fully control timelines once construction starts. In reality, projects face many external factors out of their control that cause delays:

1. Material Shortages & Supply Chain Disruptions

Today’s global supply chain means many parts must arrive from all over the world. If just one part is missing, the whole project can halt. With so many materials still hard to get, shortages are a constant battle.

• Global shipping continues facing fallout from 2020’s economic shockwaves
• Manufacturers cut capacity while demand rebounded faster than expected
• Ongoing material & labor shortages beget more shortages across supply chains
• Logistics delays compound as each supplier faces its shortfall

For builders, this means essential items like lumber, wiring, and fixtures perpetually arrive late. Work grinds to a halt while waiting on backordered supplies.

2. Unforeseen Site Conditions

Construction plans rely on assumptions around existing site conditions. But projects often face unpleasant surprises:

• Hidden asbestos, lead paint, mold, or other hazards
• Poor soil quality and unexpected underground obstacles
• Previously damaged or unsafe structures requiring remediation

Dealing with surprise site problems slows things down. Work stops while they fix safety issues and change building plans. Construction pauses for permits and approvals before it can restart.

3. Weather Delays

Bad weather is construction’s biggest enemy. Storms or extreme heat shut down work for safety. And when projects fall behind, future weather just makes delays even worse. 

• Due to budget constraints, lost days can’t simply be “made up” through overtime.
• Stacked trades may all require the same preconditions before resuming work.
• Seasonal weather within expected norms still hampers progress.

In a perfect world, projects would have unlimited labor and budgets to accelerate during fair conditions to offset future weather delays. But the reality isn’t so flexible. Learn more about how to stay within your construction budget.

4. Poor Project Management Practices

Construction management is equal parts art and science. Even with padding for known issues, bad planning and communication can still doom a project:

• Inaccurate schedules with inadequate buffers lead to cascading delays
• Failure to properly sequence stacked and dependent trades
• Poor change order management leads to compounding delays
• Ineffective coordination and communication among project stakeholders

Some “process debt” and misalignment within complex organizations is expected. 

However, systematic issues, such as inadequate buffering for home renovation projects, repeatedly hamstring construction timelines and budgets.

Techniques To Accelerate Construction Projects

While delays feel unavoidable, some proven methods help speed up projects:

Improved Procurement & Expediting

Getting materials ordered, approved, and onsite promptly prevents work stoppages. 

Operations leaders can help by:

• Ordering long-lead items as early as possible, even before permits clear
• Expediting approvals for critical submittals and material orders
• Monitoring worldwide supply chain issues to head off future shortages

Supply chain visibility and proactive interventions help teams sustain momentum despite vendor struggles.

Advanced Scheduling With Risk Buffers

Schedules guide construction’s complex dance between hundreds of dependent trades. Realistic timetables are a must for efficiency. 

Best practices include:

• Developing schedules with site operations teams instead of only planners
• Adding buffers for safety, weather, material delays, and productivity loss
• Regularly updating master schedules as change orders shift milestones

Adding padding makes timelines seem longer. However, it matches how projects go, lowering stress and burnout later on.

Improved Stakeholder Communication

Construction must work on cohesive communication between owner reps, contractors, vendors, and inspectors. Updates reach stakeholders asynchronously, if at all. 

Teams can promote alignment through the following:

• Establishing centralized data platforms to share docs and model progress
• Providing daily schedule updates and progress photos to keep everyone in sync
• Overcommunicating changes that impact milestone dates or resource needs

Transparency and “no surprises” updates maintain trust and clarity around schedule risks.

Realistic Framework To Set Project Schedules

Teams that set realistic schedules from the start see less deferred frustration. Here are key steps while respecting real-world limits:

Factor In External Review Cycles

Local agencies must review plans for city projects. Their slow processes aren’t in the builders’ control. 

Teams can plan around them by:

• Researching how long past reviews took
• Seeing their yearly closures and holidays
• Accounting for revision needs 

Accounting for realistic wait time on approvals helps prevent issues.

Map Internal Work Sequences End-To-End

Missing one small step causes chaos down the road. 

Teams avoid this by:

• Listing every task from start to finish
• Linking which task depends on which
• Getting leaders from all areas to find gaps 

This exposes worst-case timings and where hand-offs break down.

Project Phase	Major Steps
Design	Architectural concept design Preliminary engineering studies Authorities design reviews and approvals
Pre-Construction	Site preparation and hazard remediation Permitting and inspections Bidding vendor contracts
Construction	Foundation laying Rough inspections (electrical, plumbing, etc) Interior build-out Landscaping and external finishes
Inspection & Turnover	Safety inspections and remediation Final punch list walkthrough Client acceptance and occupancy permit

Table: High-level construction project workflow stages. Each phase contains multiple complex internal steps.

Collaborate on Realistic Deadlines

Plans bank on how much crews can do. Bad guesses doom projects each time. 

Teams should:

• Work with site leaders instead of assuming rates
• Use records from past projects
• Make a few realistic backup plans 

When site teams plan with managers, schedules match reality.

FAQ

Below are a few common questions about why construction projects often miss their original timelines:

Do Project Owners Share Blame For Delays?

Yes. Pushing unrealistic deadlines forces contractors to cut corners. This causes issues that slow work down further.

Does Union Labor Slow Down Construction?

No. Their priority is quality work done safely over many years. Experienced union crews often build efficiently and have good safety records.

Can Modular Construction Accelerate Projects?

Building big parts like heating systems or whole apartments in factories has become popular lately. It avoids weather delays and takes less time. The finished chunks are then trucked to the final building site.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know what causes construction delays and how to mitigate those issues, you will be better prepared to ensure that the next construction project you are dealing with is better handled.

You can identify and pinpoint where the trouble is and solve it quickly with the help of the information we provided. We hope your next construction project it completed successfully, without delays.