Delays are just a part of life when you’re a contractor. They are so common, in fact, that there’s often a no-damage-from-delay clause written into the contract that limits you filing claims because of delays. However, just because they’re a part of life, that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few things you can do to work around delays on the job site.
Labor Issues
Constant communication and follow-up may be able to prevent some types of delays from happening in the first place. One of the easiest ways to make sure everyone is running up to schedule on the project is by using an app like Construct or Fieldwire. Some contractor apps make it easy to keep up with the status of every part of the project. You can have employees upload images and send updates. Issue tasks immediately. You’ll be able to create a central punch list for everyone to keep tabs on and more.
But what if you’re having labor issues because of other reasons, like if a member of your team is out sick for a prolonged time or doesn’t have the needed experience to get the task done on time? In that case, you could hire a subcontractor to avoid having a prolonged delay.
Communication
You might be surprised how many delays are caused by a breakdown in communication. Maybe you thought “X” was understood. Or, the subcontractor didn’t notify you of an issue they were having. Perhaps the client doesn’t know the work has stopped because they haven’t finalized a design choice. Truly, there can be any number of things! Whatever you do, don’t assume everyone else is on the same page as you in understanding who and where the delay is coming from. Become an expert communicator and you’ll end up solving delays on the job site, too.
Here’s one more delay you can head off from the get-go: a lack of customer financing! You don’t want to be held up for weeks mid-job because the client ran out of money. If they go to their bank to apply for a loan, you may be cooling your heels for a month or more. But, with HFS Financial, the financing process is quick! Put HFS Financial to work for you and you can avoid that type of delay by offering financing for contractor customers. Click here to get started. “You Dream It, We Finance It.”