I receive lots of questions here on the blog about many parts of the building process, and one of the most common questions I am asked from clients, is why their builder isn’t onsite everyday. It is generally a big surprise that in fact, the builder will rarely be onsite everyday and there are some very good reasons why.

Why Your Builder Isn’t Onsite Everyday

More Than One Job

Contrary to popular belief, most builders are running more than one job at a time. While this shouldn’t mean a loss of focus on your job, it will mean that there will be times when you job may not have someone on site. In order for a builder to make money, generally at least 2 jobs will need to be running concurrently to ensure a flow of enough work for us to be competitive within the industry.

This will have been accounted for in the timeline your builder put together prior to beginning your job, and will be reflected in the contract with the date of completion. While it is natural for us to panic a little when no one is there, especially towards the end of the job when it feels like it’s been going forever, it is all part of the process.

Material Delays

Occasionally unforeseen circumstances like delays in materials or things like joinery will hold up a job. For the most part this will also have been allowed for in your finish date, however the builder can apply for an extension of time within a variation.

Waiting on materials can create situations in which no one is onsite, however these delay usually have little impact on the overall time.

Sub-Contractor Timing

One of the most difficult parts of being a builder or for that matter a subcontractor, is timing. Just because the job is ready for the plumber to start, doesn’t mean the plumber has time in their schedule to begin right on that day. There will be times when a site is vacant waiting on a subbie to be able to fit the job in.

Sub-contractors, generally work for several builders as well as their own private jobs. Except in the case of high volume builders, most builders do not have enough work to employ a subbie full time. Again this usually will have been allowed for.

Delays In Selections

Delays in selections by the client, can create a delay in anyone being onsite. These will not be accounted for in the final finish date of your contract. It is essential to work towards the timeline as set our by your builder to allow for the successful ordering and delivery of your selected materials, to prevent sometimes lengthy delays.

Non Or Late Payment Of Invoices

Non payment or late payment of invoices will most certainly create a delay onsite. It will prevent further works from taking place until payment is received and clear into the builders bank account. In some cases capacity to pay will be requested from the builder to the client which will result in a further delay and possible termination of contract if not provided, or provided in the required time frame.

The best recommendation I have to ensure that these delays don’t have a lasting impact on your project timeline, is to ensure that your part of the contract is upheld. It is your responsibility as a client to ensure that your selections and payments are made on time and the builders responsibility to ensure they have communicated with you possible delays and how they impact your contract.

It is in your builders best interests to get your job completed as quickly as possible, alternatively they lose money. Delays are best avoided for all concerned, however with reassurance it dosen’t need to be a concern when someone is not onsite.

Have you been caught up in a delay onsite?

Nicole xxx