Importance of construction schedules for successful projects

A residential home construction schedule breaks down the project into phases, and then specifies tasks to be completed in each phase. It also lists project milestones. So everyone with access to the schedule knows exactly what to be working on at any given time, which is key to completing the project on time. But it’s important for other reasons as well. Additional benefits include:

• Allows you to plan multiple projects at a time, because you can clearly see any timing conflicts
• Lets you book the subs you’ll need in advance, so they’ll be available when you’ll need them
• Helps you make sure you’ll have materials and supplies when you need them
• Shows how far your company is booked out, so you can avoid becoming overextended
• Reveals any gaps in work
• Specifies the method and order of the workflow, so team members won’t have to guess or waste time

When do you create a residential construction schedule?

Ideally you’ll create a new home construction schedule well before you plan to begin work, to allow enough time to hire everyone you need on your team, order materials and so on. Also, in order to actually create the schedule, you’ll need to complete a number of tasks first.

• Make sure you understand the project in its entirety. Without a complete understanding of the project, you can’t determine what works will need to be done and what supplies will be needed. This is where a construction contract or scope of work can come in handy.
• List potential issues. Include anything that could impact the schedule, from worker shortages to weather challenges.
• List specific activities and tasks for every phase of the project. Be as detailed as possible to avoid running into delays over tasks that weren’t accounted for.
• Write out the order of project tasks. You don’t need to estimate any time frames yet; just write down all the things you need to accomplish in the order you need to accomplish them in.
• Determine your time units. Will you account for each phase of the work in months, weeks, days, or a combination? 
• Figure out how long each task and phase will take. This is what most people think of when they think of building a residential construction timeline. Even though the other steps are important, this will be at the heart of your schedule.
• Determine the milestones. These refer to the major phases of work—for example, start and end dates, phase completion dates and project handover dates. 
• Create a Gantt chart. This shows all the tasks on one axis and the timeline on the other.
• Fill in your template or use software. You can use our downloadable sample residential construction schedule for Excel if you’re just starting out, but software is key if your project is anything beyond very simple or if you’re undertaking multiple projects at the same time.

Key components of a residential construction project schedule

Now that you’re ready to fill out the template or create your residential building schedule from scratch, you’ll need to know exactly what to include. First we’ll look at the primary categories and subcategories in general, then we’ll go over the finer details.

Stage 1: Pre-construction. Covers all the financing and documentation (bids, contracts, permits, subcontractor agreements, and so on).

Stage 2: Site preparation and work. Includes any needed site leveling and excavation as well as the laying of the foundation.

Stage 3: Carpentry and finishes for interior and exterior. Includes concrete slabs; rough-ins for HVAC, electrical, plumbing and any specialty items (for instance, a vacuum or audiovisual system); roofing; exterior finishes; insulation and drywall; floor finishes; and paint. Inspections are part of this stage too.

Stage 4: Trims and hardware. Includes appliance installation as well.

Stage 5: Exterior landscaping. If it’s part of the project scope, it includes plants as well as decks, patios and hardscape.

Stage 6: Touch-ups and cleanups. Includes any punch-outs.

Stage 7: Final walk-through. This is the last step before the client can move in. 

OK, now let’s break down all the milestones in your residential house construction schedule.

Pre-construction 

1. Property arrangements. The basic details of when the property will be officially acquired and when work can begin.
2. Contracts. Not just the construction contract itself but the lot sale agreement, financing agreement and construction loan settlement.
3. Floor plans. Review the plans with the client, then finalize them and provide any construction drawings (printed or online). 
4. Bids. You’ll review and accept bids from subcontractors and suppliers and execute agreements with them. 
5. Permits. You’ll likely have to file for a number of permits, including for grading and building; the time and costs depend on your local building agency. 
6. Surveying. Once you’ve got permits and installed a construction entrance, you can begin surveying the lot.

Excavation and Foundation

1. Clear the lot. You’ll level the ground, strip any topsoil and stake the lot for excavation.
2. Excavate. This must be done before you can lay the foundation.
3. Lay the foundation. Including digging and pouring the footings, building the foundation and having it certified.

Framing, floor, walls, roof 

1. Deck framing. Including setting any steel.
2. Wall framing. Including installing windows and doors.
3. Roof framing. Includes setting the roof trusses and installing the roof plywood.
4. Basement framing. If applicable.

Mechanical, electrical, plumbing

1. HVAC. Layout, measuring, rough-in.
2. Plumbing. Sub-slabs, layout, rough-in.
3. Electrical. Set electric boxes, install electrical service panel, rough wire-in.

Exterior finishes

1. Siding. Install brick veneer, shingles or other chosen material.
2. Trim. Install any exterior window trim or other exterior trim.

Drywall and Insulation

1. Drywall. Hang the drywall, then finish and sand it.
2. Insulation. Caulk and seal, install draft and fire stops, install main insulation material, have inspections done.

Walkways and Driveway

1. Walkways. Includes any sidewalk paving or other hardscaping as well as walkways to the porch and any patios, and through any yards.
2. Driveway. This might include pouring in concrete or asphalt, or bringing in gravel or pavers.

Exterior landscaping

1. Plantings. Install trees, grass, planters and beds.
2. Irrigation. Install the irrigation system if needed and set the watering schedule.
3. Follow-up. Create a maintenance schedule for plants and systems.

Interior Finishes

1. Tile. Install any bathroom, kitchen or other tile.
2. Paint. Some pros choose to paint the walls before the flooring is installed, to protect the floor finish.
3. Flooring. Install hardwood, carpeting or other flooring material. Allow time for sanding, sealing and curing as needed.

Fixtures and Appliances

1. Lighting. Bring in any hardwired lighting, such as pendant lights and chandeliers.
2. Appliances. For the kitchen, this will include the fridge, stove and any other major appliances. For the laundry, it means a washer and dryer.
3. Fixtures. Such as sinks, a kitchen island, cabinetry and a bath vanity.

Final punch-out and cleaning

1. Punch-out. Go through your final punch-out list, trim and adjust doors as needed, and do any paint touch-ups needed.
2. Cleaning. Thoroughly clean up all tools and debris. Clean the windows as well.

Final walk-through

1. You and your team. You and your team will inspect everything for looks and functionality.
2. With the client. Create a list of everything that the client says needs adjusting.

Organizing your residential construction schedule

How you organize your new home construction schedule is just as important as what you put in it. And you’ll also want to regularly review it to make sure you stay on track. (Tip: Don’t forget to account for weekends and holidays!) Here’s how.

• List all the project phases, based on what we provided above.
• Break down the phases into individual tasks.
• Establish the milestones for each phase (see above).
• Set the dependencies of each task and any note any overlaps.
• Determine the critical path for the project.
• Publish the project schedule.
• Review the project schedule each week and adjust as needed.
• Communicate changes in the project schedule to teams, subs, vendors and clients daily or weekly.

Managing changes to residential construction schedules

A number of factors can affect your ability to stick to a new construction schedule. Let’s take a look at each and how to mitigate delays.

Approvals, permits and inspections. Every building agency works on different schedules, and it can be hard to predict when backlogs might occur. But you should be able to get a general idea of how long each of these elements will take based on info from the agency or past building projects. It’s a good idea to specify a time range with room for delays rather than a firm deadline that might be missed.

Project size and difficulty. If the project grows in scope or complexity once you’ve begun work, it’s easy for the schedule to get way off track. First, make sure you have it written into the contract that changes in size or difficulty can affect the project completion date. Second, see where you might be able to make up any time if one phase goes longer than expected.

Weather. If you’re lucky, you live in an area with very predictable, dry, temperate weather. If not, you might have to account for a hiatus in the rainy or cold season. And if weather is at all unpredictable, it’s a good idea to build in extra time for delays because of it.

Change orders. It should be written into your contract that if the client is requesting changes, you can’t be penalized for any delays those change orders might cause. But as with changes in the scope and complexity of the project, you might be able to make up time somewhere else.

Subcontractors’ workload. Subcontractors’ schedules can be booked well in advance, and if you run into any delays, you might lose workers to another project. So you might want to book them for more time than you think you might need, particularly if you suspect that change orders will be likely.

Materials availability and/or lead time. Especially in recent years, shipping volatility can be an issue. Stay on top of vendors and suppliers to make sure you can catch any delays quickly and substitute products or materials if needed.

Alternatives to typical residential construction schedules

While using a sample residential construction schedule for Excel is a great way to get your feet wet with scheduling, using software and other tools can really save you time and effort, especially if you have multiple projects going at once. Here are a few capabilities to look for when you’re evaluating these other methods.

• The ability to create and view schedules as Gantt charts or in a calendar view.
• Cloud-based functionality, so you can update your schedule — and let your team and clients see it — in real time. It should be accessible to everyone on your team as well as subs, vendors and clients.
• The ability to add internal notes and control who is able to see them.
• Includes project management features for multiple projects at once, and the ability to easily switch between them.
• The ability to assign tasks to teams, subs, vendors and clients.
• The ability to track each project by stage or by individual tasks completed.
• Ease of accounting for changes to the scope, complexity, materials or any other aspect of the project.
• Can be accessed from your phone or tablet so you can update timelines from the field.

Conclusion

Now that you know all about how to create, organize and stay on top of a residential construction timeline, you’re all set to begin using schedules for your business. But remember, a template can take you only so far. To get the most efficiency, you’ll want to adopt scheduling and project management software. 

For instance, Houzz Pro offers both construction project management features and project collaboration features to make things easier for you and your team and to put your most professional foot forward with clients. Its many components were designed with construction pros like you in mind, and will save you time and effort when you’re creating your residential construction draw schedules and working on every other aspect of your projects. Sign up for a free trial today!

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Read our guide to construction budgeting