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How to Start Lean on Your Construction Project

Are you starting your construction project the right way? Getting started with lean can feel overwhelming, but in this blog, I’ll walk you through exactly how to approach it—whether you’re managing a massive commercial build or a smaller residential project.

A Holistic Approach to Lean Construction:

I get asked all the time: How should I start implementing lean on my construction project? Should I start small, focus on one area, or go all in? The answer lies in understanding that lean is a system, not just a set of disconnected tools.

In my book Elevating Preconstruction Planning, I outline the minimum lean components needed to run an operationally stable project.

Key Principles of Lean Construction:

At its core, lean thinking is about doing things the right way while eliminating waste. Lean is built on these principles:

  • Respect for people.
  • Stability in operations.
  • One-piece, one-process flow.
  • Visual systems to keep work transparent.
  • Continuous improvement at every stage.

To implement lean effectively, you need to ensure that all these elements are working together—just like how the human body needs all its systems to function properly.

How to Start a Lean Construction Project:

If you’re wondering where to begin, start with these key lean components:

  1. Lean Planning in Pre-construction:
  • Pre-planning is essential. The more iterations you go through on paper, the smoother the project will run.
  • Always respect trade partners and avoid overburdening your workforce.
  1. Key Lean Practices During Construction:
  • Flow: Ensure that your production plan follows a steady flow.
  • Procurement Alignment: Materials should arrive exactly when needed, not too early or too late.
  • Pre-construction Meetings: Hold meetings three weeks before a trade starts work.
  • Look-ahead Planning: Use six-week lookahead schedules to clear roadblocks early.
  • Pull Planning: All phases of work should be collaboratively pull-planned.
  1. Ensuring Lean Success on Your Project:

To keep your project on the right track, ask yourself:

  • Are you using Takt planning for production?
  • Do you know your bottlenecks and are you actively addressing them?
  • Are you hosting pull planning sessions for every phase?
  • Is your procurement system designed for on-time material delivery?
  • Are you conducting handoff meetings with trades before they begin work?
  • Are you proactively clearing roadblocks before they impact progress?

If the answer to any of these is no, that’s a sign your project might struggle.

Key Takeaway:

Lean construction is not about isolated tools—it’s a system that requires flow, planning, and continuous improvement. To successfully implement lean, focus on pre-construction planning, align procurement with production, and use pull planning to keep work moving efficiently. If any of these elements are missing, your project may struggle. Start small, but ensure all key components are working together for a truly lean and high-performing project.

If you want to learn more we have:

-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our Youtube channel for more info: (Click here) 
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here) 
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.

 

 

On we go