{"id":7223,"date":"2021-08-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-20T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bxglobal.wpengine.com\/ca\/how-to-estimate-construction-time-for-your-project\/"},"modified":"2026-01-20T10:33:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T15:33:22","slug":"how-to-estimate-construction-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stg2.buildxact.com\/ca\/blog\/how-to-estimate-construction-time\/","title":{"rendered":"How to estimate construction time for your project"},"content":{"rendered":"

5 minute read <\/em><\/p>\n

While estimating construction project costs is pretty straightforward, <\/span>putting together a schedule for the project can be more difficult<\/span><\/a>. You must be able to predict how long it will take to complete certain tasks, put them in the correct order, and connect them appropriately to their predecessor and successor tasks. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

There are a few ways to predict how long a project or task will take:<\/span> <\/span>experience, standard labor calculators<\/span>,<\/span> and asking subcontractors. We\u2019ll take a look at these three options to estimate construction time and<\/span> consider external<\/span> conditions that may affect the ultimate duration of a project.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Past experience <\/strong><\/h3>\n

The best way to estimate the amount of time it will take to complete a project is to base it on a <\/span>similar <\/span>past project<\/span>. <\/span>The data will be more accurate than labor calculators or other estimation methods<\/span> since<\/span> <\/span>the data<\/span> is based on real activities<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

You <\/span>might <\/span>have to do some calculations when making<\/span> <\/span>comparison<\/span>s<\/span>. For example, if laying 100 linear feet of 5-foot-tall brick wall takes your crew 40 manhours, then you can estimate that it will take your crew 20 manhours to lay 50 linear feet of<\/span> a<\/span> similar brick wall.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

The accuracy of your estimate will depend on <\/span>the accuracy of the records from past projects<\/span>. The more detailed your record-keeping, you\u2019ll more easily be able to extrapolate an estimate. It pays to keep detailed records, especially when it<\/span> comes to tracking <\/span>productivity<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Standard labor calculators <\/strong><\/h3>\n

If <\/span>you<\/span> are <\/span>a new company or don\u2019t have prior experience to <\/span><\/span>determine how long a project will take<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>, you can refer to standard labor<\/span> calculators <\/span>to get an idea of <\/span>a <\/span>task<\/span>\u2019<\/span>s duration. There are many labor calculators available, <\/span>some <\/span>provided by professional organizations, like <\/span><\/span>RS<\/span>Me<\/span>ans<\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/span> <\/span>RSMeans<\/span> gathers cost and duration information on projects around the United States and publishes<\/span><\/span> i<\/span><\/span><\/span>t<\/span><\/span><\/span> as a cost index that many contractors rely on when doing <\/span>estimate<\/span>s or schedules.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

You can use s<\/span><\/span>tandard<\/span><\/span><\/span> labor <\/span><\/span><\/span>calculators to estimate the amount of time it <\/span>might <\/span>take for a<\/span><\/span> full or partial<\/span><\/span><\/span> project<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span> For example, you can get an approximate time estimation<\/span> for a two-<\/span>story <\/span>commercial office building, or you can find <\/span>out <\/span>how long <\/span>it will take <\/span>a plumber to lay 100 feet of <\/span>\u00be <\/span>inch copper piping. Using this <\/span>information,<\/span> <\/span>you can <\/span>determine how <\/span>long <\/span>a project will take by breaking it up into <\/span>smaller <\/span>sections and scopes.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s <\/span>important to <\/span>note that <\/span><\/span>standard labor calculators<\/span><\/span><\/span> may not reflect<\/span> durations <\/span>and costs in the<\/span> region <\/span>the project <\/span>is <\/span>located. You may need <\/span>to add<\/span><\/span> or subtract<\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span>time<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span>to<\/span> reflect a more accurate estimate.<\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n