The Impact of Supply Chain on Construction Projects
Supply chain disruptions are causing issues everywhere you look, from the grocery store to the gas station and, unfortunately, the construction industry.
In this article, we’ll talk about how supply chain delays can impact your project and provide tips on how to plan around these issues.
How supply chain issues can impact your construction project, and what to do about it.
The Impact on the Construction Industry
With construction projects, once we have a contract and approved plans, we order the materials to be delivered to the job site. Typically, these materials would take 4-6 weeks on average to be delivered from the date we place the order.
Currently, many of the building materials we use–such as cabinets, windows, and shingles–are taking 20+ weeks to arrive.
This means that projects are taking longer to complete in their entirety. It can also create inefficiencies in the process. It often doesn’t make sense to start some aspects of the project if we’re waiting on materials to complete other parts of the job.
Additionally, the overall costs of raw materials are up by 20-30% on average, and some products are even up 30-40% or more.
What You Can Do
1.) Get started as soon as you’re comfortable.
For most projects, you can expect around a three-month lead time from contract to start date. So, the sooner you get into a construction contract with your builder, the sooner they can order materials and get you into their schedule.
This has another benefit: you’ll lock in the cost of materials at the time they are ordered. With the rising materials costs, waiting to start your project could cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars extra.
2.) Be flexible in your design selections.
The supply chain issues are limiting options for custom or special orders, especially in certain colors or materials. Trending items are also hard to get. For example, many products in black finishes are completely out of stock.
Your builder should be able to guide you in choosing readily available products–which leads to our next point…
3.) Work with an integrated design/build team.
Often, we see an architect create beautiful plans–only to discover that many of the specified products or materials are unavailable. This is incredibly frustrating for the homeowner and the builder and causes unnecessary delays and added costs.
When you work with an integrated design/build firm like Barnes Custom Builders, the architect works hand-in-hand with the construction project manager to ensure seamless communication between everyone involved.
We advise you on material lead times, alternative product options, and provide guidance throughout the entire process, resulting in a smooth, stress-free experience for you and better outcomes.
Ready to talk about your project?
Contact us to schedule a free initial call. We’ll discuss your goals and walk you through every step of the process.
