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Managing Delays From the Construction Side

  • 09/01/15

Not all construction delays are the fault of the construction contractor. By keeping the lines of communications open, the client and contractor together can work to avoid any serious slowdowns in the project.

Project managers should be aware of early warning of delays caused by the client, main contractor or your own people. Client delays arise because they may change their minds, give instructions too late or are slow in approving drawings and plans. They tend to overlook the fact that these delays push back the start for contractors or sub-contractors, and that the contractor is powerless to avoid these delays.

Main contractor delays usually involve construction work being completed late, causing subsequent stages to fall behind schedule. In some cases, delays are the result of mismanagement and a lack of coordination.

Last but not least, the subcontractors themselves may cause delays; for example, by under-resourcing the project in the early stages or by not completing design drawings and getting them approved on time.

Make sure delays outside your control are recognized and documented. Such delays can impact you financially and need to be recorded and the financial impact dealt with by the responsible party. You should not have to bear the cost of other peoples’ delays, nor should you be blamed for them.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

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