In the world of construction, delays can be huge sources of frustration for all parties involved — regardless of which stage of the process they occur. However, not only can delays be annoying, they can also end up being costly, both for stakeholders and contractors, depending on the cause for the delay.
As a structural engineering firm, we are aware of the importance that comes from knowing how to minimise building delays, even once planning permission has been granted.
In this blog we will discuss how long planning permission is expected to take, what delays you need to keep an eye out for after planning is sorted, and what you can do to mitigate delays in construction.
Our aim is to share a number of insights and suggestions you can take away to improve the construction process and maximise your relationship with your clients.
How Long Does Planning Permission Take?
The overall timeframe for planning permission will vary depending on the factors and complexities of the project in question. However, you can expect that it will take anything up to eight weeks for relatively simple applications. For larger — or more complex — projects, the time limit is extended to 13 weeks.
If your local planning authority (LPA) is unable to decide on your application within the initially stated period, you can expect written permission for them to extend the decision-making period. An extension without any request would leave you well within your rights to appeal.
If the LPA turns down your application you are, once again, allowed to appeal to a Planning Inspector. However, this will often require you to postpone the planned completion date for your project as an appeal can take a significant amount of time.
What Are The Different Types of Construction Delays?
There are a number of different types of construction delays, they will vary from neutral delays that are nobody’s fault, delays due to the client, those caused by the contractor, and concurrent delays (where a project is on hold due to more than one issue at the same time — often both having knock-on effects on each other).
Regardless of whether your building project is an extension or a loft conversion, there are a variety of different types of construction delays, including:
- Neutral Delays: Any event that is not the fault of either party. This can include adverse or extreme weather such as flooding, national strikes, changes to statutory requirements, and more.
- Client Delays: An incident caused by the client can include unforeseen variations to the work, failure to supply appropriate pre-agreed materials/goods, and delays in providing access to the site.
- Contractor Delays: Any delay impacting the final project completion date that has been caused directly by a contractor would fall under this heading.
- Concurrent Delays: A concurrent delay is often a complex situation. It refers to when multiple events affect the final completion date at the same time.
In addition to neutral, concurrent, and client/contractor delays, there are two other categorisations of delay that are often utilised. Excusable and non excusable delays in construction refer specifically to where the fault lies for a delay and what its ultimate consequences are.
The Difference Between Excusable and Non-Excusable Delays in Construction
Within the context of a construction project, delays can occur for a number of reasons, often beyond anybody’s control. This type of delay is referred to as ‘excusable’ as it cannot be tied to any particular party. Contrastingly, non excusable delays are any pauses that were directly caused by the actions of a contractor or other party.
To best understand the difference between excusable and non excusable delays in construction, you should have an understanding of both, in order to properly compare:
Excusable Delays
This type of project stoppage refers to an issue that is out of the contractor’s control. Due to the unpredictable/unstoppable nature of these delays, they are widely seen as a legitimate and unavoidable reason to extend the completion timeline on a project.
Some of the most common examples of excusable delays include:
- ‘Acts of god’
- Unexpected site problems
- Issues initiated by the project owner
- Government action/changes to law or regulations
- Issues relating to a lack of labour
- Third party issues
In many of the above examples, a contractor would usually be entitled to a fair extension of time in order to complete the project. In some circumstances, they may even be eligible for some form of compensation in order to gain back any costs incurred as a result of the delay (staff costs, additional materials, etc.).
Non Excusable Delays
Non excusable delays specifically refer to pauses in the process that can be traced back to the contractor. Some examples of non excusable delays are:
- Inadequate project management
- Below par work that needs to be corrected
- Late materials or equipment (caused by poor planning)
- Labour issues or strikes due to the actions of the contractor
If a non excusable delay occurs, contractors could be held liable for damages.
How to Mitigate Delays in Construction
Delays in construction will cause significant issues for all involved. It will postpone project owners being able to get back to regular life, and it could impact the finances and reputation of contractors. Tips to mitigate delays in construction include efficient planning, clear communication, comprehensive risk assessment, remaining proactive at all times, and more.
Tips to mitigate delays in construction would include:
Maximise Pre-planning
If you’re looking to minimise project delays, it’s important that you take a pause before rushing in and starting work. It’s necessary to clearly define your objectives, expected stumbling blocks, and any other important things to consider.
You should take this opportunity to consider the entire project and develop a timeline/schedule that you can work towards. This will ensure that you can overcome any minor holdups and act accordingly.
Risk Assessment
Another thing you should consider prior to beginning any construction work is to conduct a clear and comprehensive risk assessment. This assessment should outline all potential risks and include plans to mitigate their impact should they arise.
Something you may wish to consider at this stage is to consider what contingency plans you can put in place. This can include considering how to overcome any problems, as well as if there are any alternative strategies you can consider.
Consistent Checks
A strong method to ensure that your project stays on track is to regularly monitor its progress. This is particularly useful if you have a project timeline as indicated above, as you will be able to compare your current progress against the expected timeline.
You can also utilise these checks to address any current minor issues and ensure that they don’t snowball and become much larger issues that could delay the eventual delivery of the project.
Ensure Clear Communication
Fostering open communication lines among stakeholders, contractors, subcontractors, etc. will ensure that issues are unlikely to take place without everybody being made aware.
Be Proactive
Problems can arise quickly on projects. Therefore, it’s worth considering what you can do to identify and resolve issues before they become huge issues. Things you can consider include:
- Establish plans to spot issues early
- Ensure that not only does your entire team know what to look out for, but that they feel comfortable reporting any potential issues quickly
- Creating a measure to track ongoing problems to make sure that they are resolved in a timely manner
Work With Experts
A poor subcontractor can seriously hamper and delay a project. During construction, it’s common that many aspects of a job need to wait for other things to be done, so a bad link in the chain can set everything else backwards.
Additionally, hiring the wrong contractor can reflect very negatively on you. If you recommend a builder, a structural engineer, or an electrician who delivers poor work, then the buck will stop at you. As far as the client is concerned, their inferior work may as well be your inferior work. Therefore, it’s vital that you only work with people you can trust.
Limit Delays With Structural Engineering Work You Can Trust
When it comes to construction, receiving planning permission is a considerable milestone, and, in the moment, it can feel like a large step towards completion. However, there is scope for all manner of issues and delays after planning, and you should try to stay alert and be aware of all of them.
Utilising the strategies and insights above can help you to keep your project on-track towards completion with as minimal delays as possible — ensuring everybody involved is as happy as possible.
As expert structural engineers we are committed to offering our insight and expertise to ensure that your project can be completed in a timely fashion.
Our structural engineering service is designed to ensure that your project’s calculations and drawings can be delivered as effectively and efficiently as possible, all at a price point that can suit any budget.
Our services cover virtually everything, from basement projects to home renovations, and even new build properties. Get in touch today to find out more about how our specialist knowledge can set your project on a good path.
