Construction schedule: how to build one and stick to it

A schedule is what turns "the build will take a few months" into dates you can hold people to. It doesn't need to be a complicated chart: a list of stages, each with an expected start and end, solves most of the problems.

1. List the stages in the order they happen

Start with the build's sequence — site preparation, foundation, structure, masonry, roof, electrical and plumbing, plaster, flooring, painting, finishes (see the stages of a build). A renovation has a shorter list, but the logic is the same: first what gets demolished and what goes inside the walls, last what stays in sight.

2. Give each stage a duration

Ask the builder or contractor how many working days each stage takes with the crew you have. Be wary of very short estimates: a smaller crew or a rainy day changes everything.

3. See what can run in parallel

Some stages depend on others finishing (you can't plaster a wall before it's built); others can overlap (electrical and plumbing usually go together, and buying the flooring can happen while plastering finishes). The ones that can't overlap form the path that sets the handover date.

4. Leave slack

Add buffer days to the stages exposed to the weather — foundation, structure, roof, exterior painting — and to material deliveries. A rule of thumb is to add 10% to 20% to those stages. See also how rain affects each stage.

5. Check it every week

A schedule only works if you compare it with what's really happening. Once a week, mark what started, what finished and what's late. When a stage stops — rain, missing material, a crew that didn't show — write down the reason and how many days it was stopped: that's what explains the delay at the end.

Start from a template

In Minha Obra you pick a template — building from scratch, bathroom renovation, and others — and the app sets up the stages with expected dates, fitted to the start and end you choose. After that, each stage shows whether it's on time, paused or late.