Schedule of materials 2
- 1. SCHEDULE OF MATERIALS The Importance of Construction Scheduling Proper planning and scheduling are needed to ensure that a construction project is completed on time and within budget. A well planned construction schedule not only helps in outlining the pace of work but also how the work will get done.
- 2. The schedule helps in defining the methods and sequence in which the materials are going to be put in place. Preparing a construction schedule is not an easy job as the scheduler needs to think of many elements to design the right schedule.
- 3. The scheduler needs to take into account overall scope of work as well as connections between different components to create a construction schedule that works for everyone. A well-designed construction scheduling helps in maximizing efficiency and productivity. Here is a list of some of the major benefits of making a construction schedule before the work begins.
- 4. One of the biggest advantages of preparing a construction schedule before beginning the construction work is that you get fewer surprises down the road as everything is outlined in great detail in the schedule. Creating a schedule allows you to have complete control over all of your projects and it will enable you to plan your business operations down to the lowest level.
- 5. Another advantage of scheduling is that it allows you to maximize quality control measures as you can properly sequence the work and make sure the right quality and quantity of material are used at each step. It also helps you with the planning of various resources including equipment and labor, among other things.
- 6. A big construction project requires a lot of building materials, which means you can use a schedule to buy the right materials at the right time allowing you to complete the project on time. You need to submit a variety of samples, data sheets and other types of drawings in time to complete the project and a schedule allows you to do the same with ease and efficiency.
- 7. Proper construction scheduling also allows you to give time to various parties including your clients, designers, vendors as well as subcontractors so they can better plan their activities. Safety is a big concern in any construction project and planning all the activities with the help of a schedule allows you to improve safety performance and ensure proper protection for all the
- 8. workers at the construction site. Proper scheduling also allows you to save money as you will know the activities that need to be done during cold weather allowing you to put pricing protection measures in place. A proper scheduling system also helps you achieve high efficiency and complete the project in a reasonable time frame.
- 9. MATERIAL SCHEDULES • To help in finishing a construction job within the time limit of the contract, the contractor sets up a schedule of materials. This schedule is based on the contractor’s idea of the best way to men, money, machinery and materials.
- 10. The contractor lists each part of the work along with an estimate of time. He/she then sets up the schedule. The schedule is changed from time to time because of events on the job or because of change in order from the owner, architect or the engineer.
- 11. Why You Need a Material Schedule for Construction While some clients are well aware and may be in possession of materials schedule as issued to them by a professional, deliberately, they put aside the materials schedule and go ahead to do or use that which suits them.
- 12. This can lead to a number of structural defects including building collapse. While making careful use of the material schedule is of utmost importance in every building construction, a sound supervision of the construction project to ensure adequate and quality usage of the specified materials is a key to attaining the desired result.
- 13. To achieve a good quality building construction project, capable of standing the test of time, some experts in construction industry have this to say; “Sometimes the use of direct labour in conjunction with supervisory and quality control inputs from one or two professionals is seen as a more budget- friendly approach to the delivery of a project, especially small-scale projects.
- 14. “Other times, the project owner may choose to be engaged directly in purchasing and organizing the supply of construction materials to their site, also in a bid to save cost. Whatever the case may be, whether it’s your personal project or as a group, it is important to know what and what you should expect on completion of the project. You don’t plant grapes and expect to reap blueberries.
- 15. “A building development project is essentially a product of the use of materials and workmanship. You don’t order for tiles and expect to see epoxy flooring; neither would you see a classic brick wall when you actually paid for blocks. “The usefulness of a material schedule is not in contention. You may never know it until you lose money buying the wrong or a substandard material at the same price as the original or even more”.
- 16. Specifically, “Material schedule is that piece of document that shows you the types, sizes, quantities, quality specifications and sometimes current price of all the materials you would need for a project from start to finish. It is not the same as a Bill of Quantities (B.O.Q) or Priced Bill of Quantities which gives brief details of all the items of work in a construction project and cost included respectively, it doesn’t give you the work item or work processes, it only deals with the materials aspect.
- 17. The material schedule is presented in such a way that the user can easily identify with what materials to be used in the construction of his/her project and it often reveals approximate quantity estimates of all the materials needed with minimal allowance for wastage.
- 18. “Usually the material schedule is a construction document prepared after all the relevant designs/drawings have been completed and a thorough market survey has been done to check availability/current prices of the required materials, so that at no point is any material omitted due to incomplete architectural and engineering details. It is often done in conjunction with the owner’s specifications.
- 19. “When engaging a contractor, it is important to ask for a material schedule so that you can follow up on the quality of materials used for your work. If the materials used are not those you have agreed on as duly reflected on the material schedule in the absence of a pro-work variation, you can call for a replacement. “But if there are no documents to show material specifications, then you can expect anything.
- 20. Sometimes regrets may follow; this is particularly the case when a supplier is engaged without a material schedule to back up your claims on the specifications of the materials ordered for.
- 21. “Take for instance, you need a simple timber (wood) to construct your roof structure, if you don’t specify the product type, size and condition (e.g. Mahogany Hardwood, 50 x 75mm full lengths, new and smooth) but just say supply me ‘wood for roofing’. Who takes the blame when a truckload of used fragile softwood is brought to your site and workers begin installing them? Although the material schedule comes at a cost, it is worth it”.
- 22. Schedule of materials sample Outlines for schedules of materials are supplied by architects. In brief, a schedule of materials includes: A description of materials to be used. This includes sizes, quantity, quality, brand names , style and specification numbers.
- 23. Item description quality quantity unit Unit price Total 12mm reinforcement rods 16mm reinforcement rods Mild steel High yield steel 20 30 Pc Pc 18,000/= 22,000/= 360,000/= 660,000/= Total 1,020,000/=