Everyone involved with a construction project hopes to avoid challenges or hiccups along the way. What warnings or red flags should you look out for if “smooth sailing” doesn’t seem to be the direction your project is going? We came up with a list of 12. We’ve touched on the first half, lets look at the last six:

RED FLAG #7: Ignoring or dismissing General Requirements (Division 01)
General requirements order how a project is to proceed, including payments, changes, substitutions, meetings, coordination, mockups, and closeout. Part of the contract documents, these requirements often are dismissed by a contractor when challenges surface.

 

RED FLAG #8: Unrealistic construction schedule
The construction schedule is a map the contractor makes to spell out how to get from here (incomplete project) to there (complete project). It provides direction on when tasks are to be completed. Unless the construction schedule has subcontractors’ agreement, it is unrealistic. The bigger problem may be that each subcontractor (or crew) determines what to install when it sees fit, at the expense of the project as a whole.

 

RED FLAG #9: Slippage from unrealistic construction schedule
If work durations expand or milestones are missed, the contractor must present a corrective action plan to get back on schedule, or the projected completion date will slip further behind.

 

RED FLAG #10: Ignoring or dismissing an updated construction schedule
If the contractor is reluctant to update and distribute the construction schedule when it needs to be changed (see red flag #9), all parties are forced to get from hereto there without a map. This is not a good idea and will likely result in rework.

 

RED FLAG #11: Blame-shifting
A contractor who resorts to blaming anyone (Owner, architect, subcontractors) or anything (weather, material availability, existing conditions) else for poor performance is usually grasping at straws. There are legitimate reasons why a contractor may have challenges, but resorting to blame-shifting for their contractual responsibility indicates you may be past the point of expecting a good outcome.

 

RED FLAG #12: Taking excessive risks relating to sequencing/weather
Installing products out of sequence (i.e. installing drywall before the roof), and failing to protect installed work (wet drywall) indicates the contractor is taking too great a risk by gambling on the weather.

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Our list of 12 red flags is not exhaustive, but they are the ones we consider to be the most common when a construction project goes awry.

Have you observed these red flags (or any others) on your projects? Let us know. We’ll share your experiences on our blog so others can learn from them.

Read Part 1 here