Reading the general contractor's schedule as a subcontractor: what to send back
The general contractor sends a revised programme and asks the trade contractor to confirm it. Your start date looks familiar, but the work is now split between several areas. The foreman notices that the same crew appears to be needed in two places at once.
Review the general contractor’s schedule as a connected work plan, not a list of dates to acknowledge. Isolate your scope, identify the work and releases you depend on, and check the duration and crew assumptions behind each activity. Then send a concise response explaining supported commitments, conflicts and required decisions. Use the subcontract’s actual review and notice process; a casual reply should not substitute for a required formal submission.
Read what the dates require from your trade
- Identify the current issue and your scope. Record the schedule revision and locate all activities covering your package, including preparation, testing and return visits. Flag missing work instead of assuming it fits inside a similarly named activity.
- Trace incoming conditions. List the area releases, preceding trade work, approvals, access and shared resources needed before you start. Check whether the schedule actually represents those dependencies or merely places dates beside each other.
- Check duration and capacity. Compare quantities, estimated hours, proposed crew availability and the work split shown. Ask the foreman to test simultaneous areas and interruptions rather than approving a duration from the bar length alone.
- Read the outgoing handoffs. Identify which trades and milestones rely on your completed result. Confirm what finished means for each handover and note checks or partial-area releases that the schedule has not described.
- Record timing exposure. Ask the scheduler to explain relevant logic, calendars and reported float where you need clarification. Do not treat a float figure as your contractual entitlement to use time; that question depends on the agreement.
- Send a specific response. Identify the activity, issue, evidence, proposed correction and decision needed. Distinguish what you can support from what remains conditional, and submit through the applicable process within the confirmed review requirements.
Common mistakes
- Replying accepted after checking only the first start date.
- Leaving an omitted return visit out of the response.
- Sending a vague objection without activity references or an alternative to assess.
Action list
A useful schedule response
- Names the schedule issue and affected activities.
- Explains incoming release conditions.
- Checks quantities, durations and crew conflicts.
- Identifies downstream commitments.
- States the proposed correction and required decision.
Check your understanding
The scheduled duration matches your estimate, but access is split into more visits. Is the estimate comparison enough?
