Construction Project Schedule Template- Residential Building

Table of Contents for Construction Project Schedule Template-

1. What is a Construction Project Schedule?
2. Why use Excel Construction Project Schedule Template?
3. Worksheet 1: Project Schedule with Gantt Chart
4. Worksheet 2: Model
5. Worksheet 3: Planned Value Per Day
6. Worksheet 4: Earned Value Per Day
7. Download the Excel Construction Project Schedule Template
8. Worksheet 5: Delay Analysis
9. Worksheet 6: Dashboard
10. Final Words

What is a Construction Project Schedule?

A construction project schedule contains the construction project activities distributed over the timeline of the project. A Gantt Chart is generally used to represent the construction project schedule. It is the graphical representation of the schedule.

The project schedule is basically the answer to ‘when’ for project activities. On similar grounds, the scope of the project answers ‘what’. The scope of the project is the foundation for the work breakdown structure that is developed into the schedule.

A project schedule helps determine the upcoming activities, delayed activities, critical activities etc. It can also be built with the resource and cost of the project. Such schedules provide more insights into the project. The resource requirement and the corresponding cost can be determined for each project.

Read more about the project schedule here.

In this article, I present you with the construction project schedule template. Looking at the numerous advantages of the project schedule, the free excel template covers the Gantt Chart, planned value per day, earned value per day, delay analysis and the dynamic dashboard. The additional feature of visualising the project planning through a model will help the stakeholders understand the project better.

Why use Excel Construction Project Schedule Template?

Last week I was brainstorming on the template when a co-worker asked about the purpose of an excel template when there are scheduling software available that can do much better. I asked him what does he know about excel, he replied positively. Then I asked him if he knows any of that scheduling software. He said no. He had got his answer to why use an excel template.

Although, excel templates cannot match the level of sophistication and feature that scheduling software offers they are a great tool to start. I have seen people who are strangers to the many advantages of scheduling only because they have limited knowledge of scheduling and the software. The excel templates give them the confidence to start with. Going ahead with templates can further ignite their interest in learning the art and science of schedule.

Before starting with the template if you want to know how I created this WBS, duration estimation, relationships between activities and various assumptions related to the schedule, click here.

Let us now start with the features of the template that will help you to begin your scheduling journey and manage your project more effectively.

Worksheet 1: Project Schedule with Gantt Chart

The template contains the work activities for a G+1 residential building. The WBS for the activity is created based on the scope of the project. The project activities have been defined such that their duration estimation is discrete and comply with the DCMA 14-point schedule quality check guideline.

The first three rows of the worksheet define the project name, client’s name and the contractor’s name.

Project Start Date-

The project start date marks the formal beginning of the project with the handover of the site to the contractor. The timescale adjusts itself with the changing project start date.

Project Status Date-

The project status date is the date of the project update. This template can be used to check the activities that are to be completed by a certain date. Upon entering the status date, the planned % column shows the activities that are to be completed and the total % complete for the project.

Calendar-

The calendar represents the working days and times of the project. Sundays have been kept as non-working days for this template and marked with red in the Gantt chart. For any additional holidays that are to be kept in the schedule, go to the calendar worksheet and add the non-working dates below the existing Sunday dates. The Gantt Chart and the duration calculation excludes Sundays and other non-working days.

Actual Date & % Complete Columns-

The actual start date and the actual finish date allows user to enter the dates for the project activities on which they are started and completed. The planned % column auto-calculates the progress of activity for the status date. The user has to enter the physical % complete.

Planned Cost & Earned Value Columns-

The planned cost is the cost of completing the activity. It is calculated by the product of work quantity and unit rates for the activity. The earned value is the value of work done. Two hidden columns are present to provide the basis for the calculation of both the costs.

Gantt Chart-

The Gantt chart represents the project activities by blue bars spread over the timeline. On the timeline, there are three levels, the top-level shows the week start date, the middle level shows the date and the bottom level shows the first letter of the day.

Upon entering the actual start and finish dates for an activity the blue bar turns yellow representing the progress. The Gantt chart also shows the current date by the vertical red line.

Worksheet 2: Model

The model of the project shows the front elevation of the G+1 residential building. It represents various types of in-progress and completed tasks in a different colours. The colour code describes excavation, shuttering and reinforcement, concreting, finishing, truss erection, and sheeting.

The model helps in visualising the works that should have been completed and started by the status date. On entering the status date, the colour of the model changes representing the various types of tasks.

Worksheet 3: Planned Value Per Day

The third worksheet represents the budgeted cost of work planned for the entire project. The planned value per day for all the activities and the entire project is available in tabular form as well as on the timeline. The values are automatically taken from the schedule worksheet.

The planned value is one of the important parameters for Earned Value Management. It is used to compare the planned work to the earned value and the actual cost.

It can be used to prepare the cash flow requirement. The planned monthly billing can be estimated.

Worksheet 4: Earned Value Per Day

The fourth worksheet represents the earned value i.e., the monetary value of the executed work. The earned value is entered by the user during the scheduled update. To calculate the earned value, the quantity of the work executed for each activity is multiplied by the unit rate for the work.

The earned value is another parameter in the Earned Value Management. The cost incurred for the executed work is called the actual cost. The difference between planned value and earned value is called schedule variance. The difference between planned value and actual work is called cost variance.

In the template, the earned value for each activity is divided by the actual duration of the activity and represented over the timeline as the earned value per day. Thus, it can be compared with the planned value for each activity and the entire project.

Download the Excel Construction Project Schedule Template

Worksheet 5: Delay Analysis

The template performs the basic delay analysis. The planned and actual dates are compared. The total delay is the sum of the start delay and the finish delay.

The positive value for the delay represents the activity has ended after the planned date. The negative value represents the earlier finish than the planned date.

The delay for each summary task is the summation of delays of its’ child activity.

Worksheet 5: Dashboard

The template contains the dashboard. The dashboard updates itself when the actual dates and earned costs are entered for the activity. The dashboard contains a graph for planned vs actual for the complete project. Another graph is the plan till status date vs the actual till date for structural works and finishing works.

A doughnut chart shows the schedule performance index. A line chart shows the cumulative total delay of the project.

Note- If the dashboard doesn’t update on putting actual values, go to the “Dashboard Backup” worksheet, click on the pivot table, select the ‘Analyse’ tab and click ‘Refresh All’.

Final Words for Construction Project Schedule Template

The excel construction project schedule template works on the basics of scheduling. The activities name, duration, relationships and lead/lag can be modified as per the requirements of the site. Other than scheduling, the purpose of the template is to make people more curious about the schedules and their effectiveness.

Further, you can also get a customised excel template, dashboards, tracking sheets for your project at a nominal charge. You can contact me via mail at shazeb.middlemodi@gmail.com or my LinkedIn profile (link available on the Contact Us page).

Happy Engineering!