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As with any decision involving a lot of time or money, home renovations warrant significant planning and a clear timeline. However, even the best laid plans can fall by the wayside. Whether due to human factors, red tape, or unforeseeable roadblocks, home renovation delays can befall the best of us and force us to devise creative solutions. Are you planning a home renovation project? Or are your renovations already underway, and subject to a delay that you didn’t anticipate? Whatever your situation, we at Keystone Ridge Developments understand the frustrations and unknowns that come with home renovation delays. As experts and leaders in home and condo renovations in the Toronto area, we have seen countless iterations of the many factors that can cause your home renovation project to fall behind schedule. But what are the leading causes of home renovation delays? And how can they be foreseen, prevented, or managed? Read on to learn more about how to keep your home renovation project on the right track. Delays Are Part Of The Game Unfortunately, no matter how carefully your home renovation is planned, chances are some part of your project will run into a delay. It doesn’t matter if you’re doing a condo remodelling, a house remodelling, or even a home addition. All home renovation projects consist of several moving parts – building permits, labour, cost, and supply chains, to name a few. With so many factors involved, it’s almost inevitable that some delay will occur. When this happens, try to remember that it is usually not the project manager’s fault - it’s impossible to plan for every single contingency that might result in a setback. However, that doesn’t mean that nothing can be done about home renovation delays. The Most Common Reasons For A Home Renovation Delay Rather than trying to avoid any delays whatsoever, it is best to take delays as they come and remain willing to work around them. Even though it’s impossible to foresee every delay, knowing some common causes of delays in your home renovation project can help you feel prepared to face them. Read on for a breakdown of some of the common reasons your home renovation may run behind schedule. 1. Material Delays Picking materials is a critical step of any home renovation project. With many factors to consider - such as cost, appearance, durability, and on- or off-site prepping - it can be easy to forget about the lead times required to source your material of choice. Between construction and shipping, material lead times can often approach and even surpass three months. Additionally, internationally-sourced materials also have to be processed at customs, adding yet another source of unpredictable delays. Finally, some materials may rely on the installation or appraisal of other parts of your home renovation project before they can be finalized. For example, if you’re working on a condo kitchen renovation, you might need to finish your cabinet bases before your countertops can be installed. As infuriating as they can be, these wait times for materials can be used to complete other renovation tasks. It’s just a matter of anticipating the delay and working it into your project plan, rather than trying to devise a scenario where the delay never occurs. 2. Getting Building Permits Getting a building permit to begin your home renovation project can be a confusing and time-consuming process. In Toronto, the Building Code Act requires you to get a building permit whenever you’re: Building a new building Demolishing an old building Building an addition onto your home Any “material alteration of any building or structure” That last point is left deliberately vague by the city, but it includes adding or removing walls, turning your porch into a sunroom, etc. The City of Toronto website further outlines the drawings, forms, and applications required to secure a building permit for various types of home renovations. After you submit your application for a permit, next comes a potentially long wait for the city to process and – hopefully – approve it. The City of Toronto maintains a Building Permit Application and Inspection Status site where you can check the status of your permit application. Unfortunately, delays can occur at any point in the multi-step application review process. Working with a professional can reduce these delays, but there’s not a whole lot your contractor can do about city bureaucracy. 3. Inspections Inspections go hand-in-hand with construction permits - as their scope and mandate are laid out under municipal law, there’s just no way to cut corners on this facet of your home renovation project. Whether you’re a first-time renovator or an experienced home improver, you may find yourself surprised at the number of inspections required for a single renovation. Furthermore, aspects of your renovation may be delayed while you wait for an inspection. This can be a frustrating monkey wrench in the gears of your project. While there is no way to legally skirt the inspection process, knowing which steps of your home renovation will need an inspection can help you plan to get other work done during the inevitable wait times. Even knowing when an inspection-related delay will occur, or how long it may take, can ease your anxiety related to your home renovation project. 4. Downtime In Your Project While you’re waiting for your home renovation to be completed, it can be disheartening to observe stretches of inactivity onsite. You may find yourself wondering whether your crew is working hard enough to complete the project, or whether your contractor has scheduled them appropriately. Bear in mind that any of the above factors can contribute to frustrating yet unavoidable downtime in your renovations. Downtime can also occur while waiting for materials to cure or set, for a worker with a particular skill to become available, or for other parts of the project to be completed. Finally, crew members may also have personal or professional factors - such as commitments to other projects, or family and health issues - which result in schedule gaps. Try your best to treat the crew with empathy, and consult with your contractor if you have questions about site downtime. Getting an answer may not eliminate the delay, but it can help you anticipate how long it might run. 5. Unexpected Surprises Not every renovator has the money or time to hire a contractor for a pre-renovation probe. As a result, your project might run into unforeseen discoveries behind the walls. Rather than trying to anticipate every possible surprise, it can help to ask your contractor about worst-case scenarios and how they might manage them. If the age, layout, or history of your building puts you at risk of encountering complications - such as complex plumbing or electrical needs - knowing that they might occur can help you build them into your time frame and budget. Even if the worst never ends up occurring, the peace of mind that comes with planning for all contingencies can reduce your stress throughout the entire renovation process. Contact Keystone Ridge Developments Knowing how many potential delays exist in the process of home renovation, you may find yourself with more questions specific to your home or renovation plans. Or maybe, with a clearer idea of where delays may occur in your renovation, you want to make sure you choose the right contractor for your project. One you can trust to anticipate and work through delays, all while skilfully prioritizing your vision for your home improvement project. Whatever your questions or home renovation needs, contact Keystone Ridge Developments for the house or condominium renovation solutions to suit your needs and lifestyle. Whether you’re moving into a new home or updating a building you’ve called home for decades, our skilled contractors and their years of experience working with Toronto homeowners can help. Call or email us to book a consultation, and we’ll talk through your visions for your home. We’ll answer whatever questions you may have about the home renovation process, and devise the perfect plan for your home. Contact us, Keystone Ridge Developments, today.