Dealing with Delays: Managing Schedule Problems

Every tradesperson faces delays - weather, materials, other trades, customer changes. How you handle them affects your business and relationships.

Common Causes of Delay

• Material supply issues
• Weather (exterior work)
• Previous trades running late
• Customer decisions not made
• Unexpected problems discovered
• Illness or personal issues

Prevention

Reduce delay risk by:

• Ordering materials in advance
• Building buffer into schedules
• Getting customer decisions early
• Checking site before committing
• Having backup plans

Communication

When delays happen:

• Notify customers immediately
• Explain the cause honestly
• Provide revised timeline
• Apologise appropriately
• Document everything in writing

Managing Customer Expectations

• Under-promise, over-deliver
• Be realistic about timelines from start
• Include contingency in quotes
• Explain factors outside your control

Material Delays

Supply chain issues are common:

• Build relationships with reliable suppliers
• Have alternative sources identified
• Order early, especially for specialist items
• Consider stockholding common materials

Weather Delays

For exterior work:

• Monitor forecasts actively
• Have indoor work to fill gaps
• Build weather contingency into quotes
• Document weather conditions

Financial Impact

Delays cost money:

• Lost productivity
• Extended overhead costs
• Knock-on effects on other jobs
• Customer relationship damage

Price jobs realistically to absorb some delay risk.

Contract Protection

Formal contracts should cover:

• What constitutes legitimate delay
• How delays are communicated
• Impact on price and timeline
• Force majeure provisions

Learning from Delays

After every delayed job:

• Analyse what caused it
• Identify what you could control
• Adjust processes to prevent repeat
• Share lessons with team