General construction: budget, finance, project types
Construction scheduling and critical path basics
A construction schedule lists the tasks, their durations and what depends on what. The critical path is the chain of tasks that sets the earliest finish date: delay any of them and the whole project moves.
A construction schedule lists the tasks, their durations and what depends on what. The critical path is the chain of tasks that sets the earliest finish date: delay any of them and the whole project moves.
Tasks, durations, dependencies
For each task, write how long it takes and which tasks must finish first. Most construction dependencies are finish-to-start: the next task cannot begin until the previous one is done. Some tasks can overlap, and some wait on a delivery or an inspection.
Find the critical path
- List the tasks with durations and predecessors.
- Work forward to find the earliest finish of each task.
- Work backward from the end date to find the latest finish.
- Tasks where the two are equal have no float. They are the critical path.
Focus attention and buffer on those tasks.
Add procurement and approvals
Many delays come from items outside the site: permits, long lead materials and inspections. Put them in the schedule as tasks. The lead time tracker shows how to total sequential waits, and the procurement schedule guide links orders to site dates.
Use the lead-time tool
The tool adds up sequential steps in weeks. Replace every placeholder with a quoted or confirmed figure. Steps that run in parallel should not be added, so only enter the steps that are genuinely in sequence.
Quick answers
- What is the critical path? The longest chain of dependent tasks from start to finish. Its length is the shortest possible project duration.
- What is float? The time a task can slip without delaying the finish. Tasks on the critical path have none.
- Do I need software? Not at first. A list with durations and dependencies on paper or in a sheet is enough to find the critical path on a small project.
This guide is general information. Confirm structural, legal, financial and permitting questions with qualified professionals and the local authority, and use written quotes for any commitment.
Questions people ask
What is the critical path?
The longest chain of dependent tasks from start to finish. Its length is the shortest possible project duration.
What is float?
The time a task can slip without delaying the finish. Tasks on the critical path have none.
Do I need software?
Not at first. A list with durations and dependencies on paper or in a sheet is enough to find the critical path on a small project.
Sources and further reading
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