It’s vital that you don’t underestimate the cost that delays can have to a construction project.
Although two weeks might not sound like a lot, delays and missed deadlines can rapidly ramp up the costs.
In fact, in the UK, around 47% of construction companies state that delays are known to add more than 20% of the original cost to a project.
So, those two weeks can result in tens of thousands of pounds of unexpected costs.
One common – yet readily avoidable – cause of major delays is scaffolding.
If scaffold erection is delayed on a site by 10 working days, this means that bricklayers, cladding installers and roofing contractors are all delayed by the same number of days. This idle labour and liquidated damages leads to compounded costs, while the project’s dates continue to slip.
To understand why a scaffolding delay can have such a significant impact, keep reading.
Our own team of accredited scaffolding experts have shared their guide to understanding the impact of scaffolding delays. Below, they’ve broken down all the hidden costs, and outlined how you can minimise this risk for your project.
Labour downtime
One of the biggest hidden costs is idle labour. After all, construction labour for trained, accredited professionals is expensive. But, the cost is the same whether the teams are working productively or are stuck waiting for access.
Plus, even if you can re-arrange the labour booking, you may still have to pay:
- Standing time charges
- Retainer costs
- Rebooking fees
- The cost of productivity being impacted across multiple teams
Then, on larger commercial projects, just one delayed elevation can affect several trades simultaneously.
If the scaffolding delay involves 10-20 operatives, this can easily build up to thousands of pounds per day lost in unproductive labour costs alone.
Contractual penalties
Often, commercial construction contracts include liquidated damages clauses. These are directly linked to a project’s completion date.
The intention behind these clauses is to compensate clients if delays impact operational opening dates, tenant occupation or wider development schedules (for example).
Depending on the scale of the project, these liquidated damages could reach thousands of pounds per day’s delay.
These costs can be particularly high on commercial developments and retail projects or industrial facilities.
Cascade delays
As scaffolding is the starting point for many construction programmes – and the task that needs to be completed before multiple other works can begin – delayed access frequently leads to cascading delays.
A delayed scaffold erection can lead to a compounded impact on:
- Roofing installation
- Facade installation
- Window fitting
- External decoration
- Electrical works
This then leads to even more compounded delays, as follow-on trades, material deliveries and subcontractor work is also delayed further down the line. Each of these all represent their own associated cost.
Emergency premium pricing
A common issue that occurs as a result of scaffolding delays is teams rushing other elements of the project, in order to try and make up lost time.
However, rushing key tasks usually causes more problems than it solves.
In fact, estimates show that rushed jobs typically cost 30-50% more than planned installations.
Furthermore, emergency scaffold modifications and reactive scaffolding almost always costs more than planned installations. The extra costs come from out-of-hours labour, accelerated redesigns, priority transport costs and more.
Reputational damage
It’s a cost that’s harder to calculate. But, repeated programme overruns can negatively impact your relationships with almost all key parties and stakeholders.
In competitive markets, this loss of reputation can lead to your business struggling to secure future tenders, particularly if the contractor believes you can’t deliver on a project timeline predictably.
How to reduce the risk of scaffolding delays
Thankfully, there are many effective and straightforward ways that you can minimise the risk of scaffolding delays.
Direct from the suppliers themselves – G&R Scaffolding’s own team of accredited scaffolding specialists – here are some key tips for building a dependable prevention strategy:
- Engage your scaffolding contractors early (ideally during the pre-construction planning phase)
- Secure your design approvals well in advance
- Build a realistic buffer time into your programmes
- Plan buffer slots for scaffold modifications, in case they’re needed
- Select experienced, reputable commercial scaffolding providers with proven track records
- Maintain strong communication between the contractors and your site management team
At G&R Scaffolding, we have extensive experience supporting complex and multi-faceted construction projects.
We are trusted by site managers across the UK, and have established a long-standing reputation for our responsive service, reliable scheduling, and ability to manage complex commercial timelines.
To find out more about our services, or to arrange a project planning consultation with our skilled team, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
