A programme is a claim about the future. This example shows how to test one before you accept it, using arithmetic rather than instinct.
Owners receive a programme, notice the completion date and file it. The useful exercise is to test whether the duration is achievable, and the test needs nothing more complicated than dividing quantity by rate.
The situation
A contractor submits a twelve month programme for a villa with 420 square metres of built-up area. The owner wants to know whether the duration is realistic before signing, and where the risk sits.
Assumptions (illustrative)
- Built-up area: 420 square metres over two floors.
- Programme duration offered: 12 months.
- Structure duration shown: 14 weeks.
- Blockwork quantity: approximately 900 square metres.
- Assumed blockwork rate per crew: 35 square metres per day.
- Plastering quantity: approximately 2,300 square metres.
- Assumed plastering rate per crew: 60 square metres per day.
- Working days assumed per month: 24.
Step 1: Testing the blockwork duration
900 divided by 35 equals approximately 26 crew days, or about 5 weeks with one crew.
If the programme shows blockwork in two weeks, it assumes multiple crews. That is possible, but it should be stated rather than implied, because it affects supervision and cost.
Step 2: Testing the plastering duration
2,300 divided by 60 equals approximately 38 crew days, or about 7 weeks with one crew.
Plastering is frequently compressed in programmes because it appears simple. It is one of the largest quantities in the project and deserves checking.
Step 3: Checking the structure allowance
14 weeks for two floors implies roughly 7 weeks per floor including formwork, reinforcement, pouring and curing.
This is plausible for a villa. A programme showing 3 weeks per floor is claiming a cycle that leaves little room for curing or inspection.
Step 4: Total working days available
12 months multiplied by 24 working days equals 288 working days.
Against this, add the structure, blockwork, services, plastering, finishing and external works with their real durations, and see whether the sum fits with any float remaining.
Step 5: Float and owner decisions
If activity durations total around 260 days, only 28 days of float exist for approvals, deliveries, weather and errors combined.
A programme with almost no float is not an aggressive plan, it is a prediction that nothing will go wrong. The first delay consumes it.
What changes the answer
- A programme based on multiple crews depends on the contractor actually deploying them, which is worth verifying against their other commitments.
- Long lead items not shown on the programme are the most common cause of a plan that looks achievable and is not.
- Owner approval periods that are not shown as activities silently consume float.
- Activities shown as running in parallel that physically cannot, such as plastering and services first fix in the same room, hide duration.
What the numbers tell you
- Test the big quantities against realistic daily rates rather than accepting durations at face value.
- Ask for the crew assumptions behind compressed activities.
- Require long lead procurement to appear on the programme as activities.
- Check that your own approval periods are shown, because a programme that ignores them is transferring that risk to you silently.
Limits of this example
Every figure above is an illustrative assumption used to show the method, not a quote, valuation or market rate. Costs, rates, fees and regulations change and must be confirmed with the relevant authority, lender or supplier before you commit.
If you are preparing to build, Domira can review your drawings, scope and contractor offers before you commit, and supervise delivery against the programme and specification you agreed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is float and why does it matter?
Float is the spare time an activity has before it delays the project. A programme with generous float absorbs ordinary problems; one with none converts every small issue into a delay. When reviewing a programme, the distribution of float tells you more about its realism than the completion date does.
Should the programme be part of the contract?
Yes. A programme attached to the contract, with named milestones, gives both parties a measurable reference. Without it, progress is discussed in adjectives and delay is impossible to establish objectively.
How often should the programme be updated?
Monthly is a practical rhythm, showing actual progress against the baseline rather than replacing the baseline with a new plan. Replacing the baseline each month is a common way for slippage to become invisible, because there is nothing left to compare against.
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