How to Create an Achievable Construction Schedule – In Easy 8 Steps

An effective construction schedule is a powerful tool for the smooth running of a commercial building project, given its complexity, number of different parties, and moving parts involved. However, around 72% of contractors report a challenge in meeting project schedule requirements. This is because they regard construction scheduling as just another project obligation, rely on guesswork for time estimations without any technical and analytical insight, and fail to maintain records of their progress.

In this blog, we unravel simple but essential steps in creating an achievable construction schedule that will allow you to efficiently reach your project goals.

But first, let’s understand what construction scheduling is and what exactly goes into it.

What is a Construction Schedule?

A construction schedule is a detailed timeline or plan for a building project that construction professionals use to determine the sequence and duration of building activities.

It’s a type of calendar that outlines timelines for executing various phases of the project and informs team members of the deadlines and key milestones.

A well-defined construction schedule helps to break down the larger plan into smaller, more manageable phases. In commercial construction, this approach makes it easier to track and monitor progress of phases like site preparation, foundation work, building permits and compliance, material procurement, and interior finishing. Organizing tasks like this also allows project managers to identify potential delays and mitigate risks, ultimately saving time and money.

Construction schedules are available in multiple forms, ranging from standard Excel templates to comprehensive schedules developed using construction project management software.

A construction schedule typically includes the following elements:

• Project start and end dates
• Deadlines
• Major milestones
• Resource management
• Allocated assets
• Project deliverables
• Specific tasks required to finish the construction
• Dependent tasks lined up in a special order
• Task durations
• Project documents including design, budget, contracts, permits, change orders, etc.

Building contractors can employ construction scheduling methods like the critical path method (CPM), program evaluation and review technique (PERT), Gantt chart, line of balance (LOB), quantitative scheduling, last planner system (LPS), and resource scheduling.

Now you know what construction scheduling is and why it is useful for project managers, it’s time to learn how to do it right.

Steps to Create a Construction Schedule

Follow these steps to create an achievable construction schedule and finish your project within a realistic deadline.

Step 1 – Research the Project Needs

Collaborating closely with stakeholders to identify the goals, specifications, and limitations of the construction project will help you determine accurate timelines required to complete the tasks. For example, in the case of office building construction, find answers to questions like –

• What are the ergonomic considerations for workstations?
• How many meeting/conference rooms and bathrooms are required?
• What will be the preferred security features?
• If the office is undergoing a renovation, ask if employees will be working on-site or not to manage your construction schedule accordingly.

Speak to building inspectors and zoning officials to research necessary permits and their expected turnaround. Account for materials needed for the job, their lead times, and available person-hours of subcontractors. Most importantly, include time-sensitive expenses in your construction schedule so they are settled on time.

Step 2 – Choose the Right Construction Scheduling Tool

Construction management software solutions help you to be more efficient and accurate with your scheduling. They provide building teams with the tools to initiate, visualize, and manage their schedules easily. Scheduling tools also automate multiple tasks and let you use a construction schedule template to develop an accurate timeline.

There are many free and paid version tools available today. Select the right project management tool suitable for your construction scheduling needs. Spreadsheets in Excel or Google Sheets are the most basic options. Prefer tools that construction stakeholders are well-versed in.

Some of the best construction scheduling software are:

• Microsoft Project
• Smartsheet
• Procore
• GanttPRO
• Asana
• CoConstruct
• AutoDesk Build
• OmniPlan
• Merlin Project
• Monday.com

Whichever construction scheduling software you use, it should have advanced communication features and allow functional implementation of your chosen scheduling method. In short, find a tool capable of determining the critical path and setting a baseline for your schedule. Read software reviews and sign up for trials before choosing the right scheduling tool for the construction project.

If you don’t want to build a schedule plan from scratch, here are free construction scheduling templates to get you started.

Step 3 – Create a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

After gathering information from stakeholders and subcontractors, it’s time to create a detailed list of tasks. The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) in construction scheduling is a hierarchical breakdown of the project work into smaller, more manageable structures that construction professionals schedule, track, and monitor. Each task is considered a “work package” performed by either the general contractor, a subcontractor, or the owner.

For example, a work package of “steel erection” may list the installation of –

• Steel columns
• Beams
• Joists

The Work Breakdown Structure should clarify each task’s specific requirements (amount of labor, materials, building equipment, machinery, and estimated duration), dependencies, and deadlines. You can further add milestones to mark the end of a large construction phase in your project which will keep your team on track.

Remember, all the tasks in WBS should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Next, you need to put these tasks in order of priority. The most common method to visualize this sequence is a Gantt chart software that maps all tasks along a project timeline.

Following this construction scheduling methodology will help the team manage the deliverables as planned and keep everyone accountable.

Step 4 – Estimate the Duration of Tasks

In this step, you must set realistic start and end dates for each activity in your project management software. Estimating the task duration involves considering influential factors such as resource availability, productivity, complexity, quality, and nature-related risks.

When measuring the schedule duration, calculate holidays, vacations, and sick leaves for employees. There may arise issues with resource availability, for example, your team urgently needs a crane to lift heavy loads, but another team has already booked it for the same period. This will impact the project timeline.

Here are widely used techniques for estimating individual task’s duration:

• Refer to the historical data on construction scheduling of similar tasks and the time taken to accomplish them.
• Using three-point estimation, pick the middle number of a period between best and worst-case scenarios.
• Discuss with team members about how many hours they will take for a given task.
• Multiply the quantity of work by the number of hours required. For example, if a tile layer can install 50 square feet of tiles in one hour and the room needs 1,200 square feet of tiles installed, it means the task will require 24 hours of work.

Consider non-task-related construction scheduling like material procurement, delivery, building inspections, and financing. Additionally, as a best practice, leave some “buffer time” for each activity to compensate for bad weather, equipment malfunctions, or any unexpected delays.

Step 5 – Identify and Link Task Dependencies

Task dependencies refer to the order in which tasks must be performed. For accurate construction scheduling, determining the logical order and relationship between the project activities is extremely crucial. It involves identifying mandatory/hard logic, discretionary/soft logic, internal, and external tasks dependencies.

There are 4 types of dependencies between tasks in construction scheduling:

• Finish-Start: A task must finish before the successor can start.
• Start-Start: A task must start before a successor can start.
• Finish-Finish: A task must finish before the successor can finish.
• Start-Finish: A task must start before the successor can finish.

The most commonly used among these is “finish-start” dependency. General contractors when using their construction management software have to link project tasks based on their predecessors and successors. Let’s say in roofing, underpayment installation precedes laying the shingles as underlayment should be applied before shingles are in place. While gutters and downspouts are installed only after the roofing is complete to ensure proper drainage and roof protection.

It is possible that two different tasks must be executed simultaneously. Moreover, consider any prerequisites or risks that may impact the sequence of a construction schedule.

Step 6 – Allocate the Resources

According to a PMI study, 50% of projects fail to deliver on time, out of which 23% cite poor resource allocation as the main cause. That is why construction general contractors must allocate the necessary type and quantity of resources for performing each task when scheduling the construction. Resources in a commercial building project involve subcontractors, labor, equipment, and materials needed to complete the tasks.

Consider the availability, capability, and cost of resources, and allocate them in a balanced manner. Make sure no one team member or stakeholder is over-assigned tasks. Take for example, a commercial building project, the general contractor deploys skilled subcontractors such as electricians, masons, roofers, and glazing specialists to appropriate construction sites based on expertise and deadlines. By strategically allocating resources, you can boost team productivity and prevent delays.

Remember to assign roles and responsibilities to subcontractors and labor with clear instructions to convey your expectations. Also, develop a change order response process along with contingency plans. Another best practice in construction scheduling is to improve time-tracking methods for the work being carried out.

Now, your draft construction schedule is ready for final approval.

Step 7 – Communicate the Schedule to Stakeholders and the Project Team

This construction scheduling step is integral for your project’s success as it is highly unlikely that the first draft will be perfect. Share the draft schedule with stakeholders including the project team, subcontractors, suppliers, and other participants during pre-construction meetings. Ensure they are aware of the timeline, critical milestones, dependencies, and potential risks or challenges that may arise.

Seek feedback on whether the baseline schedule is missing anything, if it is realistic enough to achieve, or if any mistakes need rectification. Accordingly, make necessary adjustments to the construction schedule. Don’t forget to document all communications for later reference.

Once finalized and approved, this document becomes your construction project schedule for your team to execute.

Step 8 – Review and Refine the Construction Schedule

Construction schedules must be reviewed and refined at period intervals throughout the project lifecycle to eliminate potential delays. This means comparing actual vs. planned performance, identifying and analyzing differences, and taking corrective actions to keep the construction schedule realistic and the project on track.

You can allocate increased resources, add/shorten task durations, change dependencies, or slot particular tasks when resources are available.

Suppose in a commercial building project, the weather forecast has predicted heavy rain which could delay the exterior painting work scheduled for that time. So, the commercial contractor can decide to reschedule it for the previous week and allocate additional painters. Such a proactive adjustment when doing construction scheduling will help them minimize impacts on their critical path and achieve the planned schedule.

Whatever refinements you make, update all stakeholders and team members on any revisions or changes especially if they affect their scope of work and the overall schedule.

Conclusion

Accurate construction scheduling ensures each task is completed efficiently and your project is delivered on time and within budget. Project managers or general contractors can create a realistic construction schedule by researching specific needs, planning and prioritizing tasks, and allocating resources in a balanced manner. Above everything, continuously reviewing and optimizing the construction schedule will remove any possibility of delays.

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Partnering with us for commercial construction will bring you a wealth of expertise in managing complex projects in San Francisco, San Jose, and San Mateo. Our talented team understands the importance of preventing schedule delays. We focus on ensuring timely project completion while maintaining quality and safety indispensable to the commercial construction industry.

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FAQs

What is a Construction Scheduler?

It can be the team employee that develops and updates the project schedule. However, a professional construction scheduler is an expert in operating various scheduling tools and in collaboration with the project manager, they apply best practices to form a realistic schedule.

How are a construction schedule and a schedule of work different from each other?

The striking difference between a schedule of works and a construction schedule is that the former is essentially a contract listing the work that must be completed in a construction project. The latter is more detailed and states the duration, deadline, associated costs, and resources for each task.

What is the best way to present a construction schedule?

• Keep the construction schedule uncluttered and free of technical jargon.
• Construction project managers should only present relevant information in a building schedule.
• Provide major milestones, deliverables, dependencies, timelines, sequence, and the critical path of the project.
• Gantt charts and flow diagrams are easier to interpret.
• Report potential risks honestly to the stakeholders.

Relevant Resources:

• Construction Budgeting: Tips for Staying Under Budget and Cutting Costs, Not Corners
• What is Commercial Construction: The Ultimate Guide