Justin Steubs

Ask for the Three-Week Look-Ahead, Not Just the Master Schedule The big schedule tells you where the job is going. The short one tells you what has to happen next & what you owe it. Most owners see the master schedule once, near the start of the project. It is long, it is detailed & it is usually out of date within a few weeks. That is not a failure. A master schedule is a plan for the whole job. Real jobs move.

The Holidays Are on Your Schedule Whether You Planned for Them or Not The end of the year slows down everyone your project depends on. Plan the gap before it plans you. Most construction schedules are drawn as if every week is a normal week. Then late November arrives & the real calendar shows up. Crews take time off. Suppliers close early. Inspectors’ calendars fill or go dark. Lenders & title offices run on skeleton staff. The office that approves your next draw may not answer until after New Year’s.

The First Meeting Sets the Tone for the Whole Job An hour of clarity before work starts saves weeks of confusion later. Most projects start with a signed contract & a start date. What they often skip is a real conversation about how the job is going to run. Everyone shows up on day one with their own picture of the project & those pictures rarely match. A kickoff meeting is where you line them up before anyone picks up a tool.