01
Pre-construction phase
Architectural drawings, structural design, service planning, soil or site assessment where required, authority processes and contractor scope should be resolved before major work. Starting excavation with incomplete drawings often creates delays later.
02
Structure phase
Excavation, foundation, columns, beams and slabs follow a floor-wise cycle. Concrete curing and formwork sequencing need time; compressing these activities without engineering control can affect quality.
03
Masonry and MEP rough-ins
Walls, electrical conduits, plumbing pipes, AC provisions and plaster should be coordinated. This phase benefits from room-by-room drawings because changes after plaster or flooring are expensive.
04
Finishing phase
Waterproofing tests, flooring, doors, windows, ceilings, paint, sanitaryware, switches and fixtures involve many parallel vendors. Procurement lead times for custom items should be included in the programme.
05
Handover and snag closure
A project is not complete when the last coat of paint is applied. Testing, cleaning, snagging, rectification, documentation and key handover need their own planned period.
06
Why programmes slip even when labour is available
Work can stop because the next drawing is not approved, tile selection is pending, a window profile has a long lead time or electrical points changed after plaster. A useful programme therefore includes “information required” dates and procurement release dates beside construction activities.
07
Critical decisions to freeze early
Structural openings, staircase geometry, bathroom layouts, kitchen service points, AC strategy, window sizes and façade materials should be resolved before the work that conceals or supports them. Later aesthetic choices can remain flexible, but decisions that affect structure or hidden services have an earlier deadline.
08
Procurement calendar example
Steel and cement are repetitive and locally available, while custom windows, doors, lifts, specialty lighting or imported finishes may require weeks. A procurement tracker should show enquiry date, approval date, order date, expected delivery and required-on-site date. The gap between expected delivery and required date provides a visible risk buffer.
09
How to plan the last 10 percent
Finishing projects often appear 90 percent complete for a long time because dozens of small dependencies remain. Create room-wise snag lists, testing schedules, cleaning, touch-ups, final hardware, labeling and documentation tasks. Treat handover as a managed phase rather than an informal final week.