.jpg)
Common project scheduling mistakes in construction projects:
- Admin
- Dec 10, 2025
- 1 min read
Updated: Jan 14
In construction projects, baseline schedule is more than a reporting tool, it’s in fact the backbone of all coordination, risk management and field execution. Its the story of "project execution" that's going to be told.
If we set aside "scope changes" whish is the most common reasons behind costs/time variations, We still see, several recurring mistakes that continue to create delays, claims and also avoidable disruptions:
1- Building logic without field input: schedules built solely from the office and often miss real-world constraints such as access, sequencing, field logistics, and trade stacking.
2- Overlooking procurement and submittals: optimistic durations for Long-lead materials, fabrications, factory tests and approval cycles often become critical driver if delayed.
3- Overuse of hard constraints: locking dates to “make the schedule look right” masks slippage, disrupting project float network that makes delay analysis nearly impossible.
4- Unrealistic crew and production rates: durations not calculated based on resources productivity rates and not tied to actual workforce availability create a schedule that looks good on paper but collapses in day one of execution.
5- Failing to integrate the subcontractor plans: trade schedules, fabrication timelines, and equipment availability must align with the master CPM logic. If they don’t, work will outpace planning or vice versa.
Construction schedules fail not because of the software, but because of the assumptions behind them. When the schedule is grounded in field reality and managed as a living document, it becomes one of the most powerful tools on the project.
Comments