How does construction scheduling work on US projects?
Most US commercial projects are scheduled with the Critical Path Method: a network of activities with durations and logic, where the longest path sets the finish date. The contract sets the completion date, update requirements, notice periods and liquidated damages. The baseline and monthly updates become the evidence when anyone asks for time or money.
What do the CPM terms mean?
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Critical path | The longest chain of dependent activities. A delay on it delays completion |
| Total float | How long an activity can slip without moving the completion date |
| Free float | How long an activity can slip without moving the next activity |
| Baseline schedule | The approved plan at the start of work; the reference for every later comparison |
| Schedule update | Progress and remaining durations, usually monthly with the pay application |
| Time impact analysis (TIA) | Inserting a delay event into the current schedule to measure its effect on completion |
How does the contract control the schedule?
| Contract term | Where to find it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Substantial completion date | Agreement (for example AIA A101) | Liquidated damages usually run from this date |
| Time is of the essence | AIA A201-2017 8.2.1 | Missing contract time is a breach, not a formality |
| Schedule submission and updates | AIA A201-2017 3.10; Division 01 | Sets format, detail and update cadence |
| Extensions of time | AIA A201-2017 8.3 | Which delays earn time: owner changes, unusual weather, other causes beyond the contractor's control |
| Notice of claims | AIA A201-2017 15.1.3 | Claims must be made within 21 days of the event or of recognizing it, unless the contract changes it |
| Float ownership | Supplementary conditions or Division 01 | Many contracts are silent; if yours says who owns float, it decides who can use it |
Clause numbers refer to the 2017 AIA A201. Owner-drafted and ConsensusDocs forms number these differently, and many projects modify them.
How is a delay claim proven?
- Timely notice in the form and window the contract requires.
- A cause the contract recognizes, such as an owner change, a differing site condition or a suspension.
- Impact on the critical path, shown with the schedule updates in force at the time. A slip on an activity with float is usually not a compensable delay.
- Records: baseline, updates, daily reports and correspondence that show what happened and when.
Which schedule documents matter, and when?
| Document | What it shows | When it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Baseline | The plan at notice to proceed | Reference for every claim |
| Monthly update | Progress and remaining duration | Pay applications and the claim record |
| Time impact analysis | Effect of one event on completion | Time extension requests |
| As-built schedule | What actually happened | Delay analysis at closeout or in a dispute |
What does BAU AI do for scheduling today?
Patrick is BAU AI's schedule agent. Patrick imports the schedule from MS Project or Primavera, builds the three-week look-ahead with the critical path marked, and shows where field progress and deliveries put dates at risk. Your scheduler decides every change to the plan. Lex, also feeds field progress into the look-ahead, and Dario shows late deliveries against the activities that need them.
Before the schedule exists, Dora flags liquidated damages, time extension, notice and no-damage-for-delay clauses in the contract before you sign, each cited to clause and page.
Frequently asked questions
What is CPM scheduling?
The Critical Path Method models a project as activities with durations and logic links. The longest chain of dependent activities is the critical path, and any slip on it moves the completion date.
Who owns float in a construction schedule?
Whoever the contract says. Many contracts are silent, and in that case float is often treated as shared by the project, which is where disputes start. Read the supplementary conditions and Division 01 before you sign.
How long do you have to give notice of a delay claim?
Under AIA A201-2017 Section 15.1.3, 21 days from the event or from when the claimant first recognizes it. Many contracts change that period, so check yours.
Does BAU AI build or update schedules?
Patrick keeps the schedule and three-week look-ahead current and imports schedules from MS Project and Primavera; your scheduler decides every change. Dora reviews the time and damages clauses of the contract before signature.
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