1. Define scope and break it into tasks
Review the subcontract, current drawings, GC’s master schedule, access restrictions, and required completion milestones. A subcontractor’s schedule should coordinate with the overall project, not create conflicting dates in isolation.
Break the work down by area and activity: procurement, layout, rough-in, inspection, finishes, testing, and handover where relevant. Use tasks that the crew can identify and report progress against. Include submittal reviews and material lead times, not just installation.
- Task reference, activity, location, and responsible crew.
- Estimated working duration and required resources.
- Predecessor tasks and release conditions.
- Planned start and finish, milestone dates, and current progress.
- Assumptions, constraints, and schedule version date.
2. Connect dependencies and coordinate trades
Ask what must happen before each task can begin. Rough-in might need framing complete and an area released; wall closure may require inspection and acceptance first. Confirm the actual sequence with the GC and affected trades rather than assuming every job follows the same pattern.
Identify work that can safely overlap and work that cannot. Check crew availability, workspace, equipment access, deliveries, and inspection availability. Scheduling the same crew in two places at once makes a plan look faster without making it achievable.
On projects requiring a critical path method schedule, use suitable scheduling software and the project’s rules. The critical path is the linked sequence that governs the scheduled completion date; not every late activity necessarily moves that date.
3. Estimate durations and set milestones
Base duration estimates on quantities, expected productivity, crew size, site conditions, and relevant past work. Specify the work calendar: weekends, holidays, shifts, and known shutdowns affect the dates.
Agree milestones such as material release, area turnover, rough-in inspection, testing, and completion. Work backward from a required milestone to check feasibility, but do not shorten durations without a credible resource or sequencing change.
State uncertain assumptions explicitly. A delivery date still awaiting confirmation should be a visible risk, not treated as a guaranteed commitment. Keep an agreed baseline or reference version so later updates can be compared with the original plan.
4. Example: a small electrical work sequence
Fictional working-day sequence for one accessible area. Durations are illustrative, not productivity estimates. Assumes materials are available, one crew, and confirmed inspection availability.
- Layout · Day 1 · 1 working day
- Starts after the GC releases the area and confirms the latest drawings.
- Rough-in · Days 2–4 · 3 working days
- Starts after layout; crew installs the defined conduit, boxes, and conductors.
- Inspection milestone · Day 5
- Requires completed rough-in and a confirmed inspection appointment. Failed inspection or rework requires an update.
- Devices and testing · Days 6–7 · 2 working days
- Starts after required approvals and area readiness. Record the handover milestone after successful testing.
A real schedule may include separate wall closure, finish, energization, and testing dependencies. Add those activities and their responsible parties rather than copying this sequence unchanged.
5. Update progress and document changes
Record actual starts and finishes, remaining durations, deliveries, and new constraints. Review the near-term work with the crew and GC, using a look-ahead that fits the project’s planning rhythm. Preserve previous versions so a changed date has a traceable reason.
When extra work affects the sequence, identify the affected tasks, dependencies, and milestones. Keep the written instruction, photos, labor records, and schedule comparison together. Extra labor hours alone do not prove an extension to the overall completion date.
Follow the contract’s notice and time-adjustment process. If the effect is still under evaluation, say so rather than entering an unsupported zero-day impact or claiming that every change delays the project.
Can FieldCO create the project schedule?
FieldCO is for documenting and signing field change directives, not building a critical path schedule. Use your schedule or scheduling tool to plan the work, and FieldCO’s signed packet as supporting documentation for changed scope. The free directive form includes a schedule-impact field.
Sources and contract note
General information, not legal advice. Follow your project’s contract, required notices, approval authority, and scheduling requirements.
More field notes
Put the extra work in writing
Use the free printable change directive form to record scope, price, schedule impact, and signatures. Or use FieldCO to capture photos, enter a lump-sum price, and request sign-off on site or by text.