Construction hats sitting on a work site.

Construction projects fail for a variety of reasons, but more often than not complications can be avoided with proper planning, resources, and the right personnel in place!

Vanman has a 98.8% completion rate for all of our bank, school and church construction projects. In every project, we work to avoid the main issues that cause construction projects to stray from both timeline and budget.

Discover the top 3 causes of construction project failure and their solutions below.

Cause #1: Poor Planning

Solution: Collaborative communication with all stakeholders

Proper planning is important to keeping your construction project costs low while staying on time! If you’re in charge of managing your local school or church construction project, follow these tips for creating a productive plan:

  • Meet with all important stakeholders (builder, architect, subcontractors, etc):
    Get a firm understanding of the logistics and risks, while making sure your contractor grasps the important details of your project — especially goals and budget. Then, work backward from there to create an efficient timeline together!
  • Choose an all-in-one design & build firm:
    A full-service architecture firm can be your single source for design, site evaluation, and construction. Hiring a firm with architects and a construction team under one room allows you to ensure they’re just as dedicated to your vision as you are. Meaning they’re considering your needs from blueprint to building.
  • Be upfront about the unpredictables:
    Consider how cost and timelines may be affected by materials running behind, damages and other unexpected bumps in the road. Then, have an open conversation about unforeseen circumstances with your contractor to ensure these are accounted for in the building plans.

Cause #2. Productivity Delays

Solution: Staff experienced builders, architects and contractors

Productivity delays that result in missing deadlines will often harm you most — and there’s likely not much you can do about it when you’re far along in the construction process.
When you hire inexperienced workers or a firm with turbulent staffing, you’re risking potential labor shortage for slowdowns, or low-quality work from unskilled labor. You get what you put into it, so do your due research to find a quality firm with a track record of successful projects and years of experience.

The best way to protect your project from productivity delays and budget creep is to choose an experienced architect, who is familiar with your market.

How to find a qualified architecture firm:

Cause #3: Weather

Solution: Be prepared at all times

Although you can’t control bad weather … you can plan for it!
While you plan for the unpredictables, ask your contractor what they will do to plan ahead during different phases of construction, so progress is rarely (and hopefully never) halted altogether.

How your builder can mitigate the effects of harsh weather on your project mid-build:

  • Staying alert
    Your builder should always be checking the weather for day-of issues and forecasts that may affect the labor, resources and safety down the line.
  • Keeping protective equipment available
    Temporary roofing solutions, polythene sheets, straw-filled matting and polyurethane foam are just a few of the protective materials your builder should have on-site at all times.
  • Having standards in place
    Rain and other weather patterns can weaken the strength of tools, machinery and building materials. Make sure your builders have standards in place so materials are not wasted and work is not done improperly.

You’re already on the right track!

Doing your research and figuring out why construction projects fail in the first place is a great way to avoid project mishaps and failures. This means you’re already setting the groundwork for a successful construction project for your community, company or congregation.

If your next step is to find a full-service architecture firm you can trust, contact our team today! We’d love to see how we can meet the unique needs and goals of your project.