Busy contractors can cause domino effect construction delays

While much of the country envies the weather in Florida, there is one thing that residents here truly worry about –hurricanes. After a hurricane hits, homeowners and businesses try to scramble to rebuild. This puts a huge strain on the construction industry.

You would think that contractors would appreciate the uptick in business that is likely to last for some time. Unfortunately, there are many who see this as nothing more than a way to make a quick dollar.

One thing they might do is promise the rapid completion of the project, but they might not factor in possible delays. This can put the property owner in a bad spot because they might suffer economic damages due to the delays. A homeowner may have to find a place to reside because of the delay. A business owner might have to put off the reopening of the business, which can lead to a decrease in income.

When a contractor bids on a project, they have to take several factors into account. This includes possible weather or supply delays, but they also must think about the start date. One significant issue that can occur when contractors are busy is that the domino effect can mean that one delayed project can prevent the next one from starting on time. This can result in that project finishing behind schedule. It may continue from one project to the next until the contractor finishes all the projects, has clients back out to work with someone else or the contractor puts in extra time to get caught up.

In many cases, the person who is paying for the project doesn’t have any control over the delays. Depending on the terms of the contract, that individual might choose to take legal action against the contractor to recover the economic damages they suffered due to the construction delay.