What Happens If We’re Late? Why We Put Money Behind Our Schedule

Every homeowner asks some version of the same question before they sign: what happens if this runs long? Most contractors answer with a shrug — “these things happen.” We answer with a number: $300 a day, credited off your invoice automatically, if we miss the completion date we put in writing.

That’s not a slogan. It’s a real financial commitment, and it’s only possible because of how the schedule gets built before day one — not because of anything special about the schedule itself.

Why Most Renovation Schedules Slip

Ask anyone who has lived through a renovation and you’ll hear the same story: the start date was real, the finish date wasn’t. Here’s what usually causes it:

• ❌ A start date with no real finish date attached to it — just “a few weeks”
• ❌ No buffer built in for the ordinary surprises every renovation runs into
• ❌ Trades booked to juggle two or three jobs at once, so a delay on one delays them all
• ❌ Selections and decisions left until the crew is standing there waiting on an answer

None of that is unusual. It’s just what happens when a schedule gets built on hope instead of a plan.

How We Build a Schedule That Can Survive Contact With Reality

A schedule that can carry a real financial guarantee has to be built differently from the start.

• ✅ Buffer days built in before we ever set foot on site — planned for the ordinary surprises, not discovered by them
• ✅ The full scope worked out and priced up front — not figured out as we go
• ✅ Material lead times accounted for at the diagnostic stage — not discovered mid-job when something’s on back-order
• ✅ One point of contact managing the sequence — so nothing sits waiting on someone else’s calendar

That planning is the entire guarantee — the same process we follow on every project we build. We’re not braver than other contractors — we just did the math before we made the promise.

The $300/Day On-Time Guarantee, In Plain Terms

Your completion date gets written into your signed proposal — not a vague “few weeks.” If we miss it, $300 comes off your final invoice, automatically. You don’t apply for it. You don’t chase us for it. It’s simply credited.

The guarantee applies to full renovations — kitchens, bathrooms, basements, whole-home projects — where we manage the schedule from demolition to handover: projects of 20 working days (about a month) or more, and $15,000 or greater. On smaller jobs, you still get an honest timeline, our full Price Lock Guarantee, daily cleanup, and the 5-year warranty — just not the penalty clock. A short project doesn’t have the schedule runway to absorb an ordinary surprise without either rushing the work or blowing the date, and we won’t do either.

This is one piece of the Cornerstone Certainty Stack — the full set of written commitments we back every eligible project with.

What the Guarantee Doesn’t Cover — And Why That’s Honest, Not a Loophole

We’ll always be straight about what’s actually in our control and what isn’t:

• ❌ A change you approve partway through that adds scope — the date moves with it, fairly and in writing
• ❌ A concealed condition no one could see when we quoted — asbestos, hidden water damage, a structural surprise. We stop, show you exactly what we found, and agree on the path forward before continuing
• ❌ Delays caused by late selections, late approvals, or site access issues on your side

And there’s a cap: the total on-time credit tops out at 5% of your contract value. In practice we’re rarely anywhere near it — the cap just keeps the guarantee fair and sustainable for a company that actually intends to honour it.

Won’t This Just Make You Rush and Cut Corners?

No. The guarantee is measured to substantial completion — your space done and usable, the same milestone your final payment and warranty are tied to. Work that doesn’t meet our standard isn’t complete, guarantee or not. If something genuinely needs more time to be done right, we take the time and tell you why. The 5% cap exists so we’re never pushed to choose between paying you and building it right.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly triggers the $300/day credit?

Missing the completion date written into your signed proposal. Once that date passes without substantial completion, $300 comes off your final invoice for every day past it, automatically.

Does this apply to every project?

It applies to full renovations of 20 working days or more with a contract value of $15,000 or greater — projects where we control the schedule end to end. Smaller projects still get an honest timeline, price lock, daily cleanup, and the 5-year warranty, just not the penalty clock.

What if the delay is my fault, not yours?

Then it doesn’t count against the guarantee. Late selections, late approvals, or a change order that adds scope all move the date fairly, in writing — we’ll flag it right away so there are no surprises.

What if something behind the walls causes the delay?

A genuinely concealed condition — asbestos, hidden water damage, a structural issue no one could see when we quoted — isn’t counted as our delay either. We stop, show you what we found, and agree on next steps before continuing.

Is there a limit on how much this could cost you?

Yes. The total credit is capped at 5% of your contract value. We’re rarely anywhere near it — the cap just keeps the guarantee sustainable.

Will you rush the job to avoid paying it?

No. Completion is measured at substantial completion — the same standard tied to your final payment and warranty. Work that isn’t done right isn’t complete, guarantee or not.