Construction Gantt / Timeline Template — Free Download for Indian Builders

What is a Construction Gantt Chart?

A Gantt chart is a horizontal-bar visualisation of every activity in a project — from site mobilisation through handover — showing start date, end date, dependencies and % complete. For Indian construction projects, it's the document the builder uses to commit a delivery date, the bank uses to schedule disbursements, the client uses to plan possession, and the RERA authority uses to track quarterly progress.

A typical Indian residential project (G+5 building, ~50,000 sqft) takes 14–18 months. A clean Gantt chart with weekly review reduces overrun risk by 30–40%. Without it, projects drift — slab cycles slip by 4–5 days each, which compounds into months of delay by handover.

When is it used?

At project kick-off (baseline), every Friday during execution (actual update), at every monthly review with the owner, at every RERA quarterly filing, and as evidence in any contractor delay claim or extension-of-time request.

Key sections in this template

• 1. Project header — name, address, start/end
• 2. Phase 1: Mobilisation + permissions
• 3. Phase 2: Excavation + foundation
• 4. Phase 3: Structure (slab cycles, columns)
• 5. Phase 4: Brickwork + plaster
• 6. Phase 5: Flooring + finishes
• 7. Phase 6: Electrical + plumbing rough-in / final
• 8. Phase 7: Painting + facades
• 9. Phase 8: External works (compound, paving, landscape)
• 10. Phase 9: Snagging + handover
• 11. Baseline (planned) vs Actual rows
• 12. % complete + critical path flag

How to build the Gantt — step by step

1. Break the project into phases + activities at the BOQ level.
2. Estimate duration per activity from quantity × productivity norm.
3. Sequence with dependencies — slab can't start until columns cured 7 days.
4. Add buffers for monsoon, holidays (Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi), drawing delays.
5. Lock the baseline — owner signs.
6. Update actuals every Friday — bars show variance from baseline.

Common mistakes

• Optimistic durations. A 10-day slab cycle becomes 14 days in reality. Plan with realistic norms.
• Ignoring monsoon buffers. 30+ rain days during June–Sept must be in the plan.
• No critical path. Without it, you don't know which delay actually pushes handover.
• Updating quarterly only. Variance compounds. Update weekly.
• No baseline lock. If baseline keeps shifting, "delay" is meaningless.

How Site Setu automates this

Site Setu's Schedule module pulls actuals from DPR (work-done %), updates the Gantt automatically, and pings WhatsApp alerts when an activity slips past its planned date by 3+ days. Critical-path delays trigger owner alerts in real time — not at month-end. Features · Pricing.