52.236-15 Schedules for Construction Contracts
Source: FAR 52.236-15 on acquisition.gov
Contractors must submit and maintain detailed, up-to-date construction schedules or risk withheld payments and potential contract termination.
Overview
FAR 52.236-15, Schedules for Construction Contracts, requires contractors to develop, submit, and maintain detailed schedules for construction projects. The clause ensures that both the contractor and the government have a clear understanding of the sequence and timing of work, and provides mechanisms for monitoring progress and addressing delays. The schedule must be submitted within five days of starting work (or another period set by the Contracting Officer) and must detail the order and timing of key project milestones, including procurement of materials and equipment. Contractors must update the schedule as directed and take corrective actions if progress falls behind, potentially including increased shifts or overtime, at no additional cost to the government. Failure to comply can result in withholding of progress payments or even contract termination for default.
Key Rules
- Schedule Submission Requirement
- Contractors must submit a detailed progress schedule within five days of starting work or as otherwise directed.
- Schedule Format and Content
- The schedule must be a progress chart showing the order and timing of salient features, including material and equipment acquisition.
- Progress Updates and Corrections
- Contractors must update the schedule as directed and take corrective actions if behind schedule, including submitting supplementary schedules if required.
- Consequences for Non-Compliance
- Failure to submit or update schedules can lead to withheld payments or contract termination for default.
Responsibilities
- Contracting Officers: Approve schedules, monitor progress, direct corrective actions, and enforce compliance.
- Contractors: Prepare, submit, and update schedules; take corrective actions if behind; comply with all schedule-related directives.
- Agencies: Oversee contract performance and ensure timely completion.
Practical Implications
- This clause ensures project transparency and accountability, helping prevent delays and disputes.
- Contractors must be proactive in planning and documenting their work sequence and progress.
- Delays in schedule submission or failure to update can jeopardize payments and contract status.
As prescribed in 36.515 , insert the following clause:
Schedules for Construction Contracts (Apr 1984)
(a) The Contractor shall, within five days after the work commences on the contract or another period of time determined by the Contracting Officer, prepare and submit to the Contracting Officer for approval three copies of a practicable schedule showing the order in which the Contractor proposes to perform the work, and the dates on which the Contractor contemplates starting and completing the several salient features of the work (including acquiring materials, plant, and equipment). The schedule shall be in the form of a progress chart of suitable scale to indicate appropriately the percentage of work scheduled for completion by any given date during the period. If the Contractor fails to submit a schedule within the time prescribed, the Contracting Officer may withhold approval of progress payments until the Contractor submits the required schedule.
(b) The Contractor shall enter the actual progress on the chart as directed by the Contracting Officer, and upon doing so shall immediately deliver three copies of the annotated schedule to the Contracting Officer. If, in the opinion of the Contracting Officer, the Contractor falls behind the approved schedule, the Contractor shall take steps necessary to improve its progress, including those that may be required by the Contracting Officer, without additional cost to the Government. In this circumstance, the Contracting Officer may require the Contractor to increase the number of shifts, overtime operations, days of work, and/or the amount of construction plant, and to submit for approval any supplementary schedule or schedules in chart form as the Contracting Officer deems necessary to demonstrate how the approved rate of progress will be regained.
(c) Failure of the Contractor to comply with the requirements of the Contracting Officer under this clause shall be grounds for a determination by the Contracting Officer that the Contractor is not prosecuting the work with sufficient diligence to ensure completion within the time specified in the contract. Upon making this determination, the Contracting Officer may terminate the Contractor’s right to proceed with the work, or any separable part of it, in accordance with the default terms of this contract.
(End of clause)