In construction project management, nothing seduces a team faster than “visible progress.” Equipment rolls in, crews mobilize, photos get posted, and it looks like the job is flying. Then the stop-work order lands, a delivery blocks the only access road, or inspectors show up to a site that isn’t ready. That burst of early activity turns into weeks of inefficiency. The project hasn’t started strong, it has started fast and fragile.
This short article explains why “go time” often arrives before a site is truly field-ready, how to recognize premature starts, and how to run a practical project setup checklist that reduces rework, RFIs, and construction delays. If you manage superintendents, project engineers, or subs, this is the playbook you wish you’d enforced on day zero.
The Myth of Early Momentum
A fast start feels like a win. Clients love motion; executives love status updates; teams love billing. But mobilizing without full setup is like starting a race with one shoe untied, you can move, but you will bleed time fixing preventable issues.
On a residential job, a foundation crew mobilized three days after permits were issued. Excavation began. Erosion control wasn’t finalized, no silt fence, no inspection. Three days later the site was shut down and sat idle for a week. The short-term optics created a long-term drag. That’s not momentum; that’s chaos dressed as productivity.
Key idea: Early activity is not early progress. Progress requires readiness.
What Starting Too Soon Looks Like (and Why It Hurts)
Experienced field teams can spot the red flags within hours:
- Logistics not defined. Staging areas are “TBD,” access routes are unclear, deliveries arrive with no unloading plan.
- Every detour adds risk and chews the schedule float you didn’t have.
- Scope uncertainty. Unapproved shop drawings, missing sleeves for upcoming pours, unclaimed ownership of embedded items (anchor bolts, embeds). Crews either guess or stop, both are expensive.
- Last-minute scrambling. Crews get reassigned mid-shift, inspectors are called with no lead time, deliveries are moved three times. This reactive pattern is hard to reverse and trains the team to accept firefighting as normal.
When these signals appear, the readiness review was incomplete. You’re not unlucky; you’re unprepared.
Why Premature Mobilization Happens (Predictably)
This isn’t random. Three forces conspire:
- Schedule pressure. “Shovels in the ground” is a milestone that photographs well. Fiscal targets, ribbon-cuttings, and contractual optics tempt teams to override reality on site.
- Optimism bias. The belief that missing details will “fall into place” once work starts. Field execution rarely has spare capacity to fix yesterday while building today.
- Office – field miscommunication. PM thinks the superintendent completed the site walk; the superintendent assumes procurement is done; procurement assumes submittals are approved. Everyone’s aligned on dates, not on the sequence that makes those dates real.
Bonus culprit: misaligned incentives. If stakeholders are rewarded for starts rather than outcomes, you’ll get starts.
Case Study: The Mid-Rise That Lost Two Months
A concrete mid-rise broke ground early to impress the client. Excavation looked great, until reality hit. Utility locates weren’t finalized, temporary power was unapproved, and rebar drawings were marked “not reviewed.” The city issued a stop order over a missing sidewalk permit. Street frontage shut down, crews were reshuffled, and the schedule slipped by two months. Waiting one week to lock permits, stage materials, and confirm inspection sign-offs would have prevented the whole mess. The bill for “speed” came due with interest.
What “Field-Ready” Actually Means
Field readiness is not paperwork; it’s a working condition you can feel on site. When a crew shows up, every tool, material, and instruction they need for the next 5–10 working days is in place. If the answer to “Are we ready?” isn’t a clear yes, you are not ready. “Mostly ready” guarantees interruption.
Field-ready standard:
- Layout & survey verified. Control points checked, benchmarks confirmed, conflicts resolved.
- First two to three scopes fully coordinated. No sequencing collisions. Trades know who starts where and when.
Submittals reviewed and RFIs resolved. No “install pending approval” roulette. - Materials inbound on purpose. Not weeks early (clogs the site), not days late (starves the crew).
- Access routes tested. On paper and in the field. Turning radii, laydown paths, crane swings; proven, not imagined.
- Safety measures enforceable. Plans are live, not aspirational. PPE, barricades, temp power, fall protection; all real, not theoretical.
Commit to this “two-week rule” and you’ll erase half your avoidable rework.
The Quiet Way Rework Sneaks In
Rework rarely bursts through the door. It drips in:
- A pallet delivered early sits where your excavator needs to swing. You move it, twice.
- Revised drawings arrive after install; you demo and redo.
- Trench dug before compaction results are confirmed; you backfill, retest, and re-dig.
On a school renovation, starting before pre-mobilization checks led to underground plumbing at the wrong elevation. Six areas were chipped out and rebuilt. Cost: over $100,000 plus schedule hit. Root cause: week-one oversight.
Lesson: Rework is born early and billed late.
Why Slowing Down Often Speeds You Up
“Delay” is a dirty word until you compare it to “redo.” On a multifamily wood-frame build, the GC resisted pressure to start framing before base plates were reviewed and confirmed. Framing was delayed four days. Once started, the structure went up ahead of schedule with zero corrections or stoppages. Four days of patience prevented weeks of churn.
If you need a quick decision model, ask:
- What’s the cost of waiting X days? (Idle equipment, crew standby, stakeholder optics.)
- What’s the probability-weighted cost of rework if we start now? (Demo, re-install, resequencing, liquidated damages risk.)
If the second number is bigger, and it usually is, wait.
The Construction Project Setup Checklist (Field-Driven)
A checklist only works if it measures what the field can do tomorrow morning. Use this as a go/no-go gate:
1) Physical Readiness
- Layout & control points verified; survey set and protected
- Utilities confirmed; temp power plan approved and safe
- Clear work areas and defined laydown zones
- Access routes and turning radii physically tested
- Erosion control installed and inspected where required
2) Coordination & Sequencing
- First three trades fully sequenced with handoff points
- Look-ahead schedule (3–6 weeks) aligned with procurement
- Crane picks, hoisting plans, or concrete pump paths planned
- Permits and inspection windows booked with lead time
3) Information Flow
- Submittals approved and distributed (latest rev only)
- RFIs resolved with documented decisions
- Design clarifications logged to a field-visible board
- Contact roles & escalation paths posted (Project Manager, Superintendent, Project Engineer, Foremen)
4) Risk Flags
- Weather plan (mud, freeze, heat) with mitigation
- Site control issues (neighbouring property, right-of-way) addressed
- City inspections scheduled; special inspections understood
Temporary works (shoring, bracing, edge protection) designed and signed off
5) Crew Preparation
- Toolbox talks complete; site rules enforced
- Orientation, credentials, and badges issued
- Task-specific JHAs ready and reviewed
- Tools and consumables kitted for two weeks
Pass criteria: You can execute two uninterrupted weeks of work without chasing approvals, information, or material. If not, it’s not “go time.”
Ownership: Who Holds the Start Gate?
Ambiguity kills readiness. Use a simple RACI-style split:
- Superintendent (Accountable): Owns field readiness; walks the site; sets the go/no-go.
- Project Manager (Responsible): Removes roadblocks; aligns procurement, design, and client communications to readiness.
- Procurement/PE (Responsible): Ensures submittals, RFIs, and deliveries match the look-ahead.
- Safety & QC (Consulted): Validates control measures and inspection hold points.
- Design Consultant/Client (Informed/Consulted): Confirms decision timelines and permit status.
If the superintendent can’t say “we’re field-ready,” the project isn’t ready, no matter what the calendar says.
Changing the Culture Around Start Dates
Most teams link start dates to calendars, not conditions. Flip that:
Replace calendar starts with readiness starts. The date is a target; the gate is the checklist.
Make readiness visible. Post the checklist at the trailer door; red/amber/green every line item.
Run a readiness review. 30 minutes, cross-functional, with a written decision: GO, GO-WITH-HOLDS, or NO-GO.
•Close the loop. If you went GO-WITH-HOLDS, assign owners and dates. Re-review in 48 hours.
This turns “readiness” from a vibe into an operational standard.
Practical Add-Ons That Pay Off
- Look-ahead alignment: Tie the 3–6 week look-ahead to a live procurement board. No approved submittal? The activity cannot be green.
- Delivery windows: Schedule deliveries to the hour and assign a receiver. “Sometime Tuesday” is how you lose Tuesday.
Field mock-ups: Build one critical detail early. Catch conflicts in plywood, not in production.
Version control discipline: One drawing set, one source of truth. Kill the shadow PDFs on phones.
Pre-task planning (PTP): 10 minutes before each new activity. Confirm materials, means, and measurements.
FAQs
What is field readiness in construction?
A condition where crews can work for the next 5–10 days without chasing information, materials, or approvals. It’s verified in the field, not assumed in the office.
How do I prevent construction delays at project start?
Run a field-driven setup checklist, lock the first two to three scopes, verify layout and access, and hold a formal readiness review with a go/no-go decision.
What causes rework in the first month?
Unapproved submittals, unresolved RFIs, premature deliveries, and incomplete layout/utility verification. These stem from schedule pressure and miscommunication.
Who owns the setup phase?
The superintendent is accountable for field readiness; Project Manager and procurement are responsible for clearing dependencies; safety/QC validate controls and inspections.
Isn’t delaying the start risky with clients?
It’s riskier to start and stall. Frame the delay as rework prevention: “Four days now saves four weeks later.” Share the go/no-go criteria transparently.
Final Takeaway (and your marching order)
“Go time” is earned, not announced. If your team can’t execute two uninterrupted weeks of work, you’re about to buy rework, resequencing, and a reputation for excuses. Anchor your start date to field readiness using a visible, field-driven project setup checklist, and treat the superintendent’s go/no-go as the final word. Slow is smooth; smooth is fast, and fast is what you promised.
Call to action: Before you mobilize, run the checklist. If any item is amber or red, fix it. Then start, and don’t stop.
