A step by step guide on how to make a construction schedule
Yes, planning your schedule takes time, but it’s important to do it carefully if you want to avoid problems during construction. Following all the steps and avoiding shortcuts will help you create a more accurate schedule, which will help you manage your construction project more efficiently. If you want to know more about it, we have exactly what you need. Here is a step by step guide on how to make a good construction schedule.
Collect information and tools
A construction schedule involves many types of resources, stakeholders, and participants. Start gathering all the subcontractors for the job. There are always many people involved in a construction project. Once you have the list, contact them and ask how long it will take to source the materials. Next, ask how long each person’s part of the project will take. The information is essential for establishing accurate project schedules on your end. You should also speak with the code office to get a list of requirements and when they need inspections on your building.
You have context, tools, and strategies to guide your process, and now you need to move on to the project and break it down into tasks. These are the steps that must be completed in order to turn a construction plan into a completed project. You can’t create an accurate schedule until you have a complete checklist of every task that needs to happen to end in a successful build. You can use a work breakdown structure (WBS) to master the tasks needed to complete your project. You can think of this tool as a way to visualize your goals and objectives by starting with the deliverable, then breaking it down into components, then into even smaller parts, until you get to the most basic units.
Calculate the duration
Now, for each of the tasks, give them a start date and an end date. These dates should reflect both realistic and optimistic estimates. A construction schedule is influenced by climate, which can be affected by weather conditions. Weather forecasts are only accurate for a few days at most, especially months in advance; therefore, you can rely on historical data to estimate the impact of climate on work.
Establishing realistic timelines is essential in construction. You might want a project to be finished by a certain date, but you can’t rush to get it done on time. Cutting corners and sacrificing quality will have serious repercussions. The only solution is to plan carefully, giving yourself plenty of time to complete the project. Don’t forget to consider non-construction related tasks, such as organizing and tracking the delivery of materials. They are just as important as the completion of the construction.
Allocate Tasks and Execute
Creating a project construction schedule can feel like juggling a dozen balls at once. How do you manage the interaction between activities and resources? Essentially, construction planning is about the activities and the resources needed to carry them out. No task will get done on its own, of course, but assigning work to different teams keeps you on track. By color coding tasks, you can easily differentiate between different teams and work. Once you’ve assigned people to work, the construction schedule is ready to venture into the real world. Use workload calendars to balance resource allocation. Do not over-assign a team if another is inactive.
Your construction schedule is very complex and constantly changing. If you don’t constantly monitor it and make the necessary adjustments, you will fall behind. Therefore, you should check your schedule daily and make frequent updates.
We hope you find this article useful in helping you better understand how to create a construction schedule. Although it may seem like a lot of work, construction schedules are essential to any construction or renovation project. Be sure to keep everything you’ve learned here so you can make the most informed decisions for your own releases.
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