5 ways to reduce rework in construction and prevent disputes
Matt Schneiderman • 
What is rework in construction & why it costs you
Rework and disputes in construction suck. Both cost you time and effort — and probably a lot of money.
Having to redo tasks because of errors, poor quality, or design changes means wasted time, extra cost, and delays. And the impact of that little mistake caused by working with an outdated blueprint may be bigger than you imagine.
Average rework can cost between 7.25% and 10.89% of total construction cost, according to a study by the Navigant Construction Forum. Deadlines are also affected, with rework being responsible for a project delay of 9.8% of the planned project time.
Disputes are another unpleasant consequence of rework. You know the drill: owners blame contractors, contractors blame designers, and subcontractors may argue over responsibility. This leads to conflict, claims, and sometimes legal battles, further increasing costs and damaging relationships.
The best way to minimize rework and avoid disputes is to be proactive as you plan, manage, and prove your work. That way, you can get paid in a timely fashion for a job well done. Here are five tips for avoiding rework and disputes.
1. How to communicate effectively to prevent rework in construction
70% of construction professionals blame poor jobsite communication for project delays — and rework is a big part of why deadlines get missed. To make sure the work is done and done right the first time, communicate with all stakeholders before and during the project to avoid rework in the field. That means aligning on the project scope and alerting customers, trade partners, and whomever else is involved — especially when there are changes and issues.
Construction management software enables real-time project-related communication, keeping everyone up-to-date and in the loop. French modular construction company Cougnaud reduced delays and misunderstandings across teams by using Fieldwire to have instant notifications on potential problems. Field teams can quickly and clearly report problems to site managers through the app, who will then take immediate action.
2. Why documenting everything prevents rework & limits disputes
If you see something, say something — in writing. A supplier sent the wrong materials? Document it. A trade partner built something in the wrong spot? Document it. Site design not matching your plans? Document it. Having documentation of site conditions, issues, and deficiencies — whether they’re your responsibility or someone else’s — can speed up resolutions and ultimately CYA should disputes arise.
Construction management software centralizes and makes project documents easily accessible from anywhere, on any device. Providing an easy-to-use platform for field teams to document site conditions and project’s progress is the best way to prevent disputes in construction.
Using Fieldwire for documentation helped subcontractor JSC Systems quickly resolve an issue and save a lot of headaches. When a general contractor contacted their client to say JSC’s teams were behind on a project, the company was able to quickly prove that they were, in fact, ahead of schedule. “It took me all of 7 minutes to pull up a report on Fieldwire that had photo documentations, task lists, and send it right back”, says Ray Griffis, project manager at JSC Systems.
3. Track and assign issues to eliminate construction rework
Issue tracking is key to avoid rework. Once you’ve identified an issue, the next step is to follow up. Whether it’s an on-site conflict, deficiency, a punch item, or something discovered during an inspection, assign the fix to the responsible tradesperson or team and monitor progress to ensure it gets taken care of. By proactively addressing any and all issues, there won’t be any requested rework.
Construction management software makes it easy to assign, track, and monitor work items — and provides an indisputable record of what was done. Fieldwire helps teams streamline punch lists and inspections processes to improve efficiency in issue tracking.
By using Fieldwire to log and track every punch item on a large-scale project, GC EllisDon was able to prioritize tasks, attach detailed notes and photos, and keep all deficiencies data in one place. The result? Faster issue resolution and a reduced chance of mistakes being overlooked.
Adding the client to the Fieldwire project further eliminated back-and-forth emails and walkthrough disputes, as they could see in real time how deficiencies were being addressed, helping EllisDon’s teams avoid rework and maintain progress.
Learn more about EllisDon’s issue tracking and inspection process here.
4. Maintain up-to-date plans to prevent construction rework
Having the most up-to-date plans is crucial; giving your team plans with missing, incorrect, or confusing information will result in time wasted waiting for clarifications or redoing the work. Whether you’re dealing with a change order, RFI, or a discrepancy between what’s in the plans and what’s on-site, update the plans with the most accurate information so everyone can access those changes in real-time.
Construction management software keeps plans up-to-date, as markups and annotations get added in real-time and are synced across devices to ensure everyone has the latest information, thus reducing rework. With Fieldwire, you can even compare different versions of the same plan to see scope changes, or overlay different sheets (such as reflected ceiling and lighting plans) to identify potential clashes or design issues.
Best practices for plan version control
- Centralize storage – Keep all drawings and revisions in a single, accessible platform to avoid scattered emails or paper copies. You can also use app integrations to automatically sync your blueprints to and from your cloud storage and Fieldwire.
- Use clear naming conventions – Label versions consistently with dates, numbers, or revision codes.
- Enable real-time updates – Ensure teams get instant notifications when a new version is published.
- Track revision history – Maintain a record of who made changes, when, and why.
- Communicate changes clearly – Highlight revisions so teams can quickly see what’s different.
5. Use timestamped photos as proof to avoid rework and disputes
A picture is worth more than 1,000 words — it can be worth as much as the payment due for the work you’ve completed. Photo documentation provides visual proof that your work was done and done right, and it can be the difference between being sent out for rework and getting paid on time. And in the off-chance there’s a dispute, photos with timestamps can be persuasive when you make your case that it wasn’t your team that messed up and needs to redo it.
Construction management software serves as a record of work progress and completion with contextual photos.
With Fieldwire, BEI Construction has an accurate record of work completed. By creating reports with timestamped photos, they managed to eliminate rework and protect themselves from disputes. Since using Fieldwire, the electrical contractor hasn't lost any money in legal disputes. “We’re ready for when legal disputes crop up,” says Rachel Pomeroy, administrative support manager at BEI Construction.
Advanced strategies: Lean construction & contract risk management
Some management methods focused on continuous improvement can be put into practice to reduce rework. Lean construction, for example, aims to improve performance by having clear processes and early error detection. One of the key concepts of lean is eliminating or reducing waste, which results in less construction rework.
Used in quality management to improve processes, the PDCA cycle (Plan–Do–Check–Act) is a continuous improvement framework where companies plan actions, do (implement) them, check results against objectives, and act to make corrections. Also known as Shewhart cycle, it is the operating model of ISO 9001, and an essential step to prevent the same mistakes from recurring in construction projects.
When it comes to contract dispute avoidance, implementing contract risk management can be helpful. Contract risk management involves assessing and controlling risks that come from the terms of a contract. This process allows contractors to proactively prevent disputes and reduce financial loss at any stage of the contract lifecycle, from drafting to execution and renewal.
Next steps: Implement these strategies and try Fieldwire
Proactively avoid rework and settle disputes with an indisputable record of what was done — tracking every single deficiency between plans and reality. With Fieldwire, field and office teams share an easy-to-use platform to document, communicate and track issues, saving your company time and money. Reduce rework in construction starting today.
