by Zoe Zorka
Any construction project has a timescale that they need to stick to, whether it’s for a client that you’re doing the work for or for your own business. However, the cards aren’t always in your favor, and so you need to be prepared to face some issues within the project. However, time is the most important of them all, so here are some tips to save time on a construction project.
Improve The Planning
Planning is going to be beneficial for anything you do in business or in life, for that matter. You can always improve an already detailed plan, and there’s no such thing as being too prepared because, in construction, the unexpected can almost always happen. When beginning any type of construction work, ensure you’ve got your plan laid out with what needs doing, the materials that are needed and any labor that’s needed as a result of the project. Think about the financials and what needs buying, like a grader hire for, example. Prepare for the estimation that there may be delays and discrepancies in the budget where you need to add a bit more on top, just in case.
Size isn't just about the physical dimensions of your project. It also refers to the timeline. A smaller project with a shorter timeline will have different equipment needs than a larger project that takes months or even years to complete. The same principle should be applied to things like hiring dumpsters when undertaking a construction project. You'll need to have enough to suitably dispose of all of your waste, but you don't want to get too many to avoid using up too much space and money. Make sure to consider both the size of your project and its timeline when choosing such equipment.
Do The Project At The Right Time
For construction projects, there’s really any time during the year that you may want to do it. However, it’s always good to think about what part of the year will be most suitable for what you’re trying to achieve. Maybe it’s a construction project for a working office, and it’s worth doing the work during the summer when it’s likely that a lot of people will be away. The same can go for the weather at certain points of the year. Perhaps a winter project might not work so well because there’s more chance that things will go wrong due to bad weather. It’s something that may seem pale in significance, but actually, choosing the time of year for your project is essential to get it right.
Be The Stern Leader
During a construction project, work is likely to get slack at some point, and even though it might not be in your nature to do so, it may be necessary to become a stern talker. If your labor hasn’t been managed at all and is simply leading off initial conversations you’ve said over the phone or email, the likelihood that work would fall behind may be pretty high. So, although it may feel difficult for you, it’s sometimes good to put your foot down and to demand why things aren’t getting done within the requested time frame or take leadership on some decisions that have not yet been made. It’s the only way that things will get done and that you can move your construction project on so that it can be completed on time.
Any construction project, whether personal or business-orientated, is tough to manage. However, as long as you have the right crew working for you, you’ve budgeted well and managed it properly, there’s less of a chance that you’re going to struggle.