If you’ve ever heard a contractor say, “It’s just a week’s delay”, your first response should be:
“How many weeks of cost does that week actually represent?”
In construction, time isn’t linear — it’s layered.
And delays don’t just move the calendar. They compound cost.
🔍 The Hidden Price Behind a “Minor Delay”
Let’s say a site is held up for 5 working days due to a permit issue or late delivery. Sounds manageable, right?
But here’s what quietly stacks up:
-
Labour still needs paying (even if they’re idle)
-
Plant hire keeps ticking
-
Scaffolding? That’s a weekly charge
-
Specialist trades might get reassigned — and not be available when you’re finally ready
-
Rescheduling triggers management time, contract adjustments, new risk exposures
That one-week delay just quietly became a 3-week financial headache — or worse, an insurance trigger if liquidated damages apply.
🧱 Cost Engineers Know: Delay = Budget Drift
As a QS, you learn early that time risk lives in the prelims and overheads. It’s rarely just about how long a project runs — it’s about:
-
When your trades are available again
-
Whether temporary works need extending
-
If rework will be required due to sequencing shifts
Delays also increase the likelihood of:
-
Claims and variations
-
Abortive work or re-measured sections
-
Weather risk (especially on outdoor jobs)
📏 Practical Insight for Developers and Landlords
If you’re a landlord commissioning a refurb, or a developer scoping a small-scale project:
-
Build in realistic contingency (both in time and money)
-
Don’t over-promise tight turnarounds to hit lender milestones or launch dates
-
Track programme slippage in weeks and cost — not just dates
Time always converts into money. It’s just that most people only count labour days — and not the chain reaction it causes across packages and prelims.
Final Word:
If time is money, then delay is silent theft.
Build smart. Build real. Plan with buffers — not just hope.
Image Credit: Stux via pixabay