Franchise Construction Timelines: Why They Always Run Long (and How We Keep Ours On Track)

If you've ever opened a franchise, or you're planning to, you’ve probably been told something like:

“Once the lease is signed, the build only takes 6 to 8 weeks.”

Technically, yes, the build itself might only take 6 to 8 weeks.

But the full process? It’s more like 12 to 16 weeks when you factor in permits, landlord approvals, brand revisions, and trades availability.

I’m not saying this to scare anyone. I’ve just worked on enough franchise fit-outs across Ontario to say with confidence:

The timeline always looks clean on paper until it’s not.

Here’s where it usually breaks down, and how we avoid it.

1. Most people only plan for the build, not everything before it

Everyone is focused on how long the construction will take, but that’s rarely where the real delays happen. The bigger time sink is everything that happens before demo even starts.

You need to coordinate with the landlord. Finalize construction drawings. Get city permits. Deal with changes from head office.

We’ve had builds that took six weeks, but we spent ten just waiting on paperwork and approvals. If you’re not ready for that, your schedule is already off before the tools come out.

2. The trades aren’t part of the schedule, they’re added to it

This is a big one. A lot of people build the schedule in a vacuum, then start calling trades to fill in the dates. But if your plumber, HVAC team, or electrician is booked, your whole project gets held up.

We approach it differently. We loop in all the trades before finalizing anything. We confirm their availability and get buy-in early so when we go live, everyone is already locked in.

It’s not just about having a schedule on paper. It’s about building a plan that actually works in the real world.

3. Small delays add up fast

It’s rarely one big thing that throws a job off. It’s a couple of days waiting on a landlord. A few days delay from the millwork supplier. An inspector missing their window.

On their own, no big deal. But together, those delays pile up quickly and suddenly you’re three weeks behind asking what happened.

We build in buffer zones to absorb these hits. We also stay on top of the schedule every day so we can adjust early if anything slips.

What we do differently at Olive Tree Builds

We build more than walls. We build reliable timelines based on actual experience. Franchise build-outs succeed when you plan for the things that usually go wrong and get ahead of them early.

Want to see how we actually do it?

I break it all down in a quick video that covers how we plan, schedule, and deliver franchise projects on time:

https://youtu.be/7Pedn_s9jJo?si=EcdbJEL0HwgSyhmA

If you’re opening a franchise and want a second set of eyes on your timeline or project, reach out or check us out at 🌐 https://www.olivetreebuilds.ca/