FAR 52.236-15—Schedules for Construction Contracts.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 52.236-15, Schedules for Construction Contracts, requires the contractor to create and maintain a construction progress schedule and gives the contracting officer tools to monitor and enforce timely performance. The clause covers the initial submission of a practicable schedule within five days after work starts (or another period set by the contracting officer), the required content and format of that schedule, and the contractor’s obligation to show the order of work and the planned start and finish dates for major features, including procurement of materials, plant, and equipment. It also addresses the government’s right to withhold approval of progress payments if the schedule is not submitted on time, the contractor’s duty to update the schedule with actual progress, and the requirement to provide annotated copies to the contracting officer. If the contractor falls behind schedule, the clause allows the contracting officer to require corrective action—such as added shifts, overtime, more workdays, or more construction plant—at no additional cost to the government, along with supplementary schedules showing how the contractor will recover. Finally, the clause explains that failure to comply with these scheduling and recovery requirements can support a finding that the contractor is not prosecuting the work with sufficient diligence, which may lead to termination for default under the contract’s default clause. In practice, this clause is a core project-control tool: it helps the government track progress, identify delays early, and enforce timely completion, while also giving contractors a clear obligation to plan, report, and recover from slippage.
Key Rules
Initial schedule required quickly
The contractor must submit three copies of a practicable schedule within five days after work begins, unless the contracting officer sets a different period. The schedule must show the planned sequence of work and the contemplated start and completion dates for the major features of the project.
Progress chart format required
The schedule must be in the form of a progress chart of suitable scale that shows the percentage of work scheduled for completion by relevant dates. This means the schedule must be usable as a management and monitoring tool, not just a narrative plan.
Late schedule can affect payments
If the contractor does not submit the required schedule on time, the contracting officer may withhold approval of progress payments until the schedule is received. This gives the government leverage to obtain the schedule promptly.
Actual progress must be recorded
The contractor must enter actual progress on the chart as directed by the contracting officer and immediately deliver three annotated copies. The schedule is therefore a living document that must be kept current, not a one-time submission.
Behind-schedule performance triggers corrective action
If the contracting officer believes the contractor is falling behind the approved schedule, the contractor must take steps to improve progress at no extra cost to the government. The contracting officer may require increased shifts, overtime, additional workdays, more plant, or supplementary schedules to show how the contractor will recover.
Noncompliance can lead to default
Failure to comply with the contracting officer’s requirements under this clause may support a determination that the contractor is not prosecuting the work with sufficient diligence to finish on time. That determination can lead to termination for default, in whole or in part, under the contract’s default terms.
Responsibilities
Contractor
Prepare and submit the initial practicable progress schedule on time; ensure it shows the sequence of work and planned dates for salient features, including procurement activities; maintain the schedule by recording actual progress; provide annotated copies as directed; and implement recovery measures if behind schedule, without additional cost to the government.
Contracting Officer
Set a different submission period if appropriate; approve or review the contractor’s schedule; direct how actual progress must be entered; determine whether the contractor is falling behind schedule; require corrective actions and supplementary schedules when needed; withhold approval of progress payments if the schedule is late; and, if warranted, determine whether the contractor is not prosecuting the work diligently enough to justify default action.
Government/Agency
Use the schedule as a project-control and oversight tool to monitor performance, support payment administration, identify delays early, and enforce contract completion requirements through the contracting officer’s actions under the clause.
Practical Implications
Contractors should treat the initial schedule as a deliverable with real payment and default consequences, not as a formality.
The schedule must be detailed enough to show sequencing and major milestones, including procurement lead times; vague or overly general schedules may not satisfy the clause.
Keeping the schedule current is essential because the contracting officer can use it to assess whether the project is slipping and to demand recovery measures.
If the project falls behind, the contractor may have to add shifts, overtime, or equipment at its own expense, so delay recovery can become costly quickly.
Failure to respond promptly to scheduling directions can escalate from administrative pressure to a finding of insufficient diligence and possible termination for default.
Official Regulatory Text
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)