What to do if your project is significantly delayed

A meaningful delay — multiple slipped milestones, a programme running materially behind, a build that's lost momentum — needs more than a single message. It's a build advisor conversation, and it's worth having early.

Step 1 — Get the picture

Talk to your build advisor. Bring whatever you have: dates, messages, missed milestones, your builder's explanations. The build advisor will already have a partial view; getting yours and theirs aligned is the first step.

Step 2 — Understand the cause

Most significant delays come from one or two things, sometimes more:

Materials that aren't on site when they need to be — usually long-lead items.
A trade that's not turning up to plan — can be staffing, can be commercial.
Hidden defects that have surfaced and need remediation before the build can move on.
Customer-side decision delays — design changes that haven't been agreed, materials that haven't been ordered.
Builder capacity — the builder is over-committed across other projects.
Incorrect use or implementation of change orders — changes happening on site without a signed change order can quietly shift cost and timeline. The drift doesn't show up in the programme, so the project ends up behind without anyone being able to point to the cause.

The cause matters because the response varies. Materials slips usually recover; a builder capacity issue often doesn't recover without a hard conversation.

Step 3 — Decide a path

Three common paths:

Stay on track with a revised programme. The builder commits to recovered dates; you watch them carefully. Most delays land here.
Bring in formal contract remedies. If your contract includes Liquidated Damages (LD), they may apply; the article Liquidated damages — when and how to ask for them covers this. If not, the contractual rights you have under the Home Improvement Contract (HIC) apply.
End the relationship. A serious option, used rarely, but real. If the relationship with the builder has broken down structurally, the article What to do if your relationship with your builder breaks down covers the path. If the builder leaves the network or goes out of business, the article When Beams covers costs describes the network backstop.

What we can do

We can push your builder, escalate within Beams, document the delay, and (if it gets there) coordinate the contractual remedies. We can't compel a builder who's struggling to commit to dates they can't hit — but we can be honest with you about what's happening and help you decide.

What this means for you

Don't sit on a serious delay hoping it'll turn around without a conversation. The earlier we have visibility, the more options are open. Quiet delays compound; loud ones get attention.

What to do if your builder misses a milestone
Liquidated damages — when and how to ask for them
What to do if your relationship with your builder breaks down