Rain on the job site: which stages it delays and how to plan
Which construction stages rain delays, which go on as usual, and how to plan the schedule and material orders for the rainy season.
Rain is the most predictable cause of delay on a build — and, for that very reason, the easiest to plan for. Not every stage stops in the rain: the trick is knowing which ones do and arranging the schedule around them.
Stages rain usually delays
- Earthwork and foundation: flooded excavations and soaked soil slow work down and can compromise the foundation.
- Concrete pours: heavy rain right after pouring washes the surface and weakens the concrete.
- Exterior masonry and structure: open-air work, mortar that doesn't set well.
- Roof: dangerous and hard to do in rain and wind.
- Exterior plaster and paint: they need dry weather to cure and bond.
Stages that usually go on
Once the house is covered, a lot can continue: interior electrical and plumbing, interior plaster, subfloor, tiling, drywall and interior paint. That's why closing the roof before the rainy season is one of the decisions that protects the schedule the most.
How to plan for it
- Look at your region's rainy months and try to fit foundation, structure and roof into the drier ones.
- Leave slack on the stages exposed to the weather — see how to build the schedule.
- Protect the materials: cement and mortar spoil with moisture; keep them covered and off the ground.
- Have a plan B for the crew: indoor work for rainy days avoids paying for idle days.
- Record the pauses: write down when and why a stage stopped. That's what explains the delay later.
Rain alerts in the app
In Minha Obra you mark the site's address and which stages are weather-sensitive. The app shows the forecast for the next days and warns you when rain may delay a stage in progress — on WhatsApp too, the day before.