When drawings are issued late, the entire fit-out schedule typically slips — often by more than the length of the delay itself. Late or incomplete drawings delay the DOB filing (which can’t proceed without them), delay procurement of long-lead items (which can’t be ordered without final specifications), and delay the start of construction. Because these steps happen in sequence, a two-week drawing delay can become a four- or six-week project delay.
Late drawings also tend to produce a second, less obvious cost: rushed or incomplete documentation leads to more RFIs and change orders during construction, as the field discovers gaps that should have been resolved on paper. This is why experienced GCs push hard for complete, coordinated drawings before construction starts — the time “saved” by starting early on incomplete drawings is almost always lost later, with interest.
For commercial tenants, the takeaway is that design schedule discipline matters as much as construction schedule discipline. Darby works with the design team during preconstruction to keep drawings on track and flags documentation gaps before they delay the project.
