How your builder tells you about timeline changes
Builds shift. Your builder is responsible for flagging changes to the programme early and clearly. Beams sits alongside if something needs unsticking.
Builds shift. A delivery slips, a trade is sick, a hidden defect emerges, a phase takes longer than planned. Your builder is the one responsible for telling you when the programme moves — they're closest to the day-to-day reality and the first to notice when something's off.
Who flags what
Your builder leads on timeline. They'll tell you when there's a delay coming, what's caused it, and what they're doing to recover. Significant changes are recorded on the platform through updated milestone dates so the change is visible, not just verbal.
Your build advisor sits alongside. They're not the messenger on routine timeline changes — that's a direct conversation between you and your builder — but they're the person to talk to if a slip is material, if the conversation isn't getting somewhere, or if you'd like a second view.
What to expect when a slip happens
A reasonable shape of conversation, led by your builder:
- A short message describing what's slipped and why.
- A view on how much time it'll cost the project.
- A view on what's being done to recover or absorb the delay elsewhere in the programme.
- A revised target where it makes sense to give one.
The builder won't always have a precise answer at the moment they tell you. Sometimes they're still working out what it means. A "we know the boiler's late, we don't yet know by how much" message is more useful than three days of silence while a tidy answer comes together.
Why timelines are indicative throughout
All timelines your builder shares with you are indicative. Builds genuinely have more variables than a hard commitment can honestly absorb — the four standard milestones, the change-order process, the sign-off period give the project its shape, but the dates inside that shape are best estimates.
If your project has Liquidated Damages (LD) in the contract, that's a different mechanism — LDs hold your builder accountable on the agreed completion date. The article Liquidated damages — when and how to ask for them covers when and how.
What this means for you
Expect some timeline shift on most projects. It doesn't usually mean anything is wrong. If a slip surprises you — for size, for direction, for lack of explanation — start with your builder. If you're not getting a clear answer, your build advisor is the next step.
Related articles
- What is a target break-ground date
- What to do if your project is significantly delayed
- How to work best with your builder