Free ebookConstruction Scheduling & Critical Path Method (CPM): Plan, Track, and Deliver Projects On Time

Course Description

Construction Scheduling and Critical Path Method CPM is a practical ebook course designed to help you plan, track, and deliver construction projects on time. Built for professional courses in construction, it connects real jobsite reality with clear scheduling fundamentals so you can turn a scope of work into a workable plan that crews and stakeholders can actually follow.

You will learn how to define project scope and scheduling assumptions, build a deliverable-based work breakdown structure, and create activity lists that reflect field operations. The course guides you through logic building using predecessors, successors, constraints, and realistic sequencing, then strengthens your plan with duration estimating suited to residential and small-to-mid commercial work. As you progress, you will understand critical path, float, and the true drivers of the finish date so you can focus effort where it matters most.

Beyond theory, this course shows how to set baseline schedules, align milestone commitments, and check feasibility with resource loading at the crew level. It also addresses the everyday factors that disrupt schedules, including permits, inspections, subcontractor availability, and material lead times, while integrating procurement and logistics into your schedule model. You will practice progress measurement using percent complete rules and quantity tracking, then move into look-ahead planning and weekly work planning that supports reliable production on site.

You will also learn schedule updating, variance tracking, and recovery planning to respond quickly when conditions change. Delay analysis basics and time impact documentation help you protect the project and communicate facts clearly. With guidance on communicating schedules to crews, owners, and stakeholders, plus common scheduling mistakes to avoid, you gain tools to improve coordination and decision-making across the team.

To help you apply what you learn immediately, the ebook includes templates, checklists, and sample schedules, along with a mini case study that follows the process from kickoff schedule through closeout and punch list. The approach is software-agnostic, with optional spreadsheet and tool walkthroughs so you can implement CPM planning in the platform you already use.

Start this course today and build a construction schedule you can defend, update, and use to deliver predictable results on every project.