How an Experienced Paving Contractor Avoids Project Delays

Staying on schedule is one of the biggest challenges facing site development and pavement contractors. Time is money in every industry, but in construction, even a brief delay can be expensive.

Eliminating those delays is a primary goal for experienced paving contractors, as well as their clients. And it’s important to work with an experienced team when embarking on any construction project, whether it’s site development, laying pavement, or something else.

Construction work is complex and requires collaboration between multiple teams to pull off on time. If your project relies on an inexperienced team, delays are inevitable.

How can a reputable crew ensure your project stays on track and on time? Here, we’ve included the top five ways that a knowledgeable Houston paving contractor can do just that.

1) Reputable paving contractors provide accurate estimates and realistic timelines

If you’re working with an inexperienced or ethically questionable team, the delays are written into the project’s beginning – during the estimate process.

Before a single piece of equipment is mobilized, the contractor will provide their client with an estimate that details the project’s cost and timeline. An estimate is exactly that – only an estimate. However, reputable construction teams strive to provide their clients with a fair, accurate estimate that can be planned around. It should include all agreed-upon services, the scope of the project, the cost of each project task, the materials to be used, and an estimated time of completion.

Once a contractor has been around long enough, they develop a strong sense of how long a project will take and how much it will likely cost. They provide estimates that can be planned around because they are that reliable.

An inexperienced (or careless) contractor will frequently undershoot project timelines and expenses. Even if nothing causes a delay, delays will still happen because the initial plan was too optimistic to begin with. And if the client doesn’t have extra funds to tap into to deal with mounting costs, the project may be delayed indefinitely.

2) Experienced Houston paving contractors know what resources to mobilize for each project

Experienced Houston paving contractors are well-resourced and well-equipped to manage multiple projects at once. They know what the project entails and what kind of machinery, technology and manpower will be needed to get it done. Though it may seem like a minor advantage, mobilization takes considerable time. Ideally, your contractor will mobilize only what they need, because additional mobilizations will add time to the project and likely stress the budget.

This is a problem for an inexperienced construction company. One of the most common issues for inexperienced construction project managers is under or over mobilizing resources. If too much equipment is mobilized, the cost is passed to the client. If too little equipment is mobilized, additional mobilizations (and time) will be required to complete the project.

In short, experienced crews have their logistics polished to the point where they don’t make mobilization mistakes like these.

3) An experienced crew can forecast and resolve site challenges before they cause delays

Once the project’s plan is set, the next step is arranging for site access. Delays can set in here if site access is not carefully considered prior to mobilization.

Can the contractor get all of their equipment to the work site? Is there an access road available, or will the crew need to create one? Will weather affect the site’s stability? Are soil conditions sufficient for supporting heavy machinery? Will specialized equipment – like a concrete pump – be necessary to access every part of the site?

If things like these aren’t considered prior to beginning work, construction project delays are likely. An experienced Houston paving contractor carefully reviews site plans to ascertain where access points are. Further, a reputable Houston site developer will also survey the site during the early phases to spot any potential delay-causing problems.

4) A reputable team also knows how to secure the necessary paperwork

Site development is an involved process, and one that requires city approval before moving forward. Although it depends on the site’s location and purpose, most projects require a pile of paperwork. This typically involves building, zoning, and environmental permits.

Building and development permits require the bulk of consideration. To attain them, a formal site plan must be submitted for approval. Site plans provide a visual map for the project, pointing out where buildings, landscaping, drainage, and other important site elements will be placed.

An experienced Houston paving contractor can assist with developing and submitting site plans and other necessary documents for approval. This can eliminate any delays during the planning process. In fact, it’s a good idea to consult with a site developer or construction team well before planning for this reason.

5) Established paving contractors have engineering expertise on staff to guide projects

Many site development and construction projects require engineering expertise to manage. They’re the people who create and review site plans for their feasibility and safety. They’re the experts who verify that work is being done according to regulation. They’re a project manager’s right-hand man or woman when the tough questions come up.
With their natural insight into development, construction engineers can take a long-range view of a project and ensure it hits its deadlines. If you’re working with a less reputable company, they may not have the engineering experience needed to plan and strategize properly.

Experienced Houston Paving Contractors Know How to Avoid Delays and Finish a Project on Time

In the world of commercial development, delays are extremely costly. They’re also extremely common among inexperienced and less reputable paving contractors.

Experienced paving crews not only take pride in the quality of their work – they also take pride in the quality of their logistics and communication. It’s this extra edge that gives clients cost and deadline certainty.